Tap water connections to be provided in rural areas in war footing
With shrinking water bodies and depleting water table, the Drinking Water and Sanitation department has decided to construct more check dams, barrages rather than big reservoirs as the later investment cost is much higher.
Department Secretary, Prashant Kumar today while addressing a press conference highlighting his department progress report said that due to different terrain and topography, the department has decided to focus more on construction of check dams, barrage and other traditional sources of water rather than construction of big reservoir or dams which not only requires big investment, but are challenging task too.
A check dam is a small dam constructed across a drainage ditch, swale, or channel to lower the velocity of flow. A barrage is built for diverting water, and raises the water level by only a few feet.
Apart from the above method of conservation of water, the department will also focus on the Jal Jeevan Mission which is also an important scheme. Through this also work is going on to remove the water crisis from house to house especially in rural areas.
Jal Jeevan Mission is envisioned to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
Joint Secretary of the department Pranav Kumar Paul, Engineer-in-Chief Ramnandan Sharma, PMU Chief Engineer Sanjay Jha and other senior officers were also present at the conference.
Keeping the departmental achievements, Prashant Kumar said that a state level web based call center was established at PMU, Doranda (Ranchi) on 10th March last month. All types of public grievances related to drinking water and sanitation are being heard and resolved through this. Complaints are also being taken in the center through toll free number 18003456502 and mobile number 9470176901 and through e-mail, WhatsApp. Within a month, 2326 complaints were registered on this. Of these, 64.57 per cent have been settled.
The maximum number of 1775 complaints was related to hand pump repair. Apart from this, 178 cases were also found through electronic, print and social media. Of these, only 34 are pending.
There are currently 440767 tube wells across the state. 51152 tube wells are lying closed. 389510 Tube wells are in working condition. In view of the heat, handpumps are being repaired on a war footing in all the divisions by the department. There are 5 to 7 hand pump repair vehicles in each division.
According to the Drinking Water Department, water connections are to be given to 59 lakh 23 thousand 320 rural families of the state by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission. At the time of launch of the scheme in 2019, water was supplied from tap to 3 lakh 45 thousand 165 houses in the state. This facility has been provided in 11 lakh 60 thousand 370 houses till 31 March 2022.