New Delhi (TIP)- The Union government has achieved the milestone of providing piped water connection to 100 million houses in villages under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, August 19,  adding that at least 70 million houses were provided such connections over the last three years. “Seven crore (70 million) rural households have been connected with piped water in just three years compared to just three crore (30 million) in seven decades. This is an example of the same human-centered development, which I talked about this time (in the Independence Day speech)…,” Modi said. “The achievement of the 10 crore (100 million) milestone reflects the Centre’s commitment towards provision of water and preservation of the environment,” he added.

According to Census 2011, fewer than 14% of rural households had access to ‘on premise’ tap drinking water supply. The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to link all of India’s 192 million households with tap water. As on August 19, the Jal Jeevan mission has covered 52% of all rural homes. At the launch of the mission in 2009, only 17% of rural households had tap water access. In a country where nearly 800 million people live under extreme water stress, the Jal Jeevan Mission carries huge political significance for the Bharatiya Janata Party and PM Modi, whose focus on providing poorer Indians with benefits such as cooking gas, toilets and subsidised housing is said be one of the key reasons for the ruling party’s electoral successes.

“The real test of Jal Jeevan Mission is in its long-term sustainability because the water sources connecting each area should be sufficient to last 30 years as per guidelines, so conservation and replenishment of sources is equally important,” said Narendra Patel, a water expert with Samaj Pragati Sahayog, a water-conservation NGO based in Dewas, Madhya Pradesh. The Prime Minister was virtually addressing the Har Ghar Jal Utsav event under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Goa when he made the statement. The event was held to celebrate Goa’s certification as a state that connected all rural households with piped water, along with the Union territories of Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.     Source: HT