Goa is becoming the first Indian state to be accredited under 'Har Ghar Jal' with 100% coverage, the government's nationwide initiative to give tap water connections at every rural home has gained momentum. In both the North and South Goa districts, nearly 2.6 lakh families have benefited from a tap water connection, according to officials.
To get 100% coverage of tap water connections in the state over the previous three years, the Goa government, led by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, has invested more than 200 Cr. The programme was launched by the Indian government in 2019 with a target completion date of 2024, but COVID-19 caused the pandemic and significantly slowed down work progress.After being delayed, the programme now covers more than 50% of the nation.
After Goa, a number of Union Territories (UTs), including Daman and Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli, achieved 100% coverage by connecting tap water to over 85,000 rural households at a cost of over 510 crores over the previous three years. The central government is now closer to the ten-crore level owing to the full flow of work from the states and UTs.
Andaman and Nicobar, Puducherry, Telangana, and Haryana are among the states and UTs that have reported 100% coverage while continuing to be accredited. States like Gujarat, Punjab, and Bihar are also getting a little bit closer to the goal.
Some large states, like Uttar Pradesh, which accounts for 95% of the leftover work, have yet to gain the pace necessary to reach the goal. However, after a village reaches its goal, the centre mandates that gramme panchayats verify the work in order to increase transparency. The gramme sabha meetings will also be videotaped and put on the department's portal for official certification.
The procedure would make the system transparent as only confirmed locations would receive certification. Meanwhile, Vikas Sheel, the Mission Director of the Jal Jeevan Mission and Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Jal Shakti, stated that it is necessary for additional districts to come forward and finish the certification procedure so they may earn the 'Har Ghar Jal' designation. They are urging state government to step up and certify districts, supporting them all the way through the procedure.