Arunachal Pradesh has reiterated its commitment to achieve ‘Har Ghar Jal’ target by 2023. The state has 2.17 lakh rural households, out of which 1.01 (47%) lakh have access to tap water supply. In 2020-21, about 65,000 new tap water connections were provided in the hilly State.
In 2021-22, the State plans to make 3 districts, 18 Blocks and 1,825 villages Har Ghar Jal, which means 100% tap water connection in every rural household in these areas. The State plans to provide 65,000 tap connections in 2021-22.
The national committee had urged the state to make a concerted effort to provide tap water to SC/ST-dominated habitations and aspirational districts as soon as possible.
Jal Jeevan Mission
JJM is the Union Government’s flagship scheme with the aim of providing piped tap water to every rural household. A central fund of Rs 345 crore was allocated to the state in the previous financial year 2020-21 to ensure tap water supply. The State is expected to receive Rs 600 crore as a central fund under the Jal Jeevan Mission in 2021-22.
According to the state, Piped water is available in 86% of Arunachal Pradesh’s healthcare facilities, 79% of schools, 60% of Ashramshalas, and 57% of Anganwadi centres. The state plans to supply all of these facilities with 100% piped water in the first quarter of 2021-22.
The state also intends to involve experts at the district, and division levels to help speed up the implementation of JJM and identify gaps that must be resolved as they work to achieve 100 % coverage in the state’s remote regions.
Under Jal Jeevan Mission, water quality testing laboratories at district & state levels are opened for the general public to test the water at a nominal rate. Community is being encouraged for surveillance of water quality.
The Public Health Department is assisting in the empowerment and engagement of the population. Activities such as timely procurement and supply of field test kits to the community, identification of at least five women in each village for community involvement, training women on how to use the Field Test Kits, and documenting test result findings are all scheduled for this purpose.
Arunachal Pradesh completed 83.4 % chemical testing of water supplies and 91.8% testing at distribution points in 2020-21.
Annual Action Plan
The Annual Action Plan emphasizes on the drinking water, source strengthening, augmentation of water supply, greywater treatment & reuse, operation & maintenance of the village water supply system. The State plans intense skill training of State & district programme management unit staff, ISA team, Village Water & Sanitation Committee and Pani Samiti members.
A total of 5,000 people will be trained as masons, plumbers, and electricians across the state. This skilled labour would be used to build water supply facilities, as well as for their operation and maintenance.
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