Itanagar, July 18 (FN Agency) Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday honoured the best-performing Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), Implementation Support Agencies (ISAs), Block Resource Coordinators (BRCs), Lab Assistants and Jal Sathis with the CM’s award. The chief minister gave away the awards at a ceremony under Jal Jeevan Mission at Civil Secretariat here Congratulating the VWSCs, ISAs, BRCs, lab assistants and Jal Sathis working at the village level for successful implementation of the JJM, the Chief Minister said, “The recognition you have earned in the shape of these awards will inspire others to work dedicatedly at all levels and make the dream of ‘Har Ghar Jal’ a success.” Khandu hailed the JJM scheme launched by Prime Narendra Modi in 2019 with a vision to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
“The Mission includes source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting, etc based on a community approach to water,” he informed. Taking an extensive review of the status of JJM and SBM (Swachh Bharat Mission) in the state with department officials, Khandu assured government support to cover left out villages within this year. On being informed of few health centres, schools and Anganwadi centres yet to be covered under the JJM program, the Chief Minister directed the Public Health Engineering & Water Supply Department officials to hold a meeting with the Planning, Health and Education departments as early as possible and chalk out a way forward for saturation of JJM. He urged the department to concentrate on villages by encouraging and providing for the VWSCs, ISAs, BRCs and Jal Sathis.
He said encouragement through awards and recognitions would hugely boost morale of the ‘foot soldiers’ working at the grassroot level. “Successful implementation of JJM and SBM depend solely on these village level agencies and agents,” he said. Several key issues were discussed during the review meeting including physical and financial achievements, additional support required from the state government, left out schools and Anganwadi centres, etc. During the meeting, Khandu along with Rural Development Minister Bamang Felix, PHE&WS Minister Wangki Lowang and Advisor to PHE&WS Lokam Tassar released a Handbook for operation & maintenance (O&M) of in-village water supply system by community. An awareness video on Arunachal Pradesh Protection of Drinking Water Catchment Areas Act was also launched by the CM.