Poor connectivity affecting Jal Jeevan Mission scheme implementation in Nagaland

Our Reporter
Dimapur, Sep. 28 (EMN): Minister of Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), Jacob Zhimomi, on Wednesday, said 40% of the population in the state does not have an Aadhaar card, which is mandatory to avail the functional household tap connection (FHTC) under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) scheme.

He also said that there are communication issues (telecommunication and transportation) in rural areas, as the department is required to upload geotagging ‘but there is poor connectivity’.

Briefing the media on Wednesday, after the review meeting on implementation of JJM and Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin at Tourist Lodge, Dimapur, Zhimomi said the JJM scheme is challenging in Nagaland due to its topography, “but nonetheless the department has performed well and we have crossed 50.28% as of September 27, and our target is to reach at least 60% by December, 2022. The national percentage is 53%, which we are short by 2%, but in next few months we will be crossing the national average”.

He also shared that they will be corresponding with the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and put forward the proposal given by the engineers during the review meeting so that the target can be achieved by 2024 as directed by the Centre.

Meanwhile, he clarified that urban FHTC will be dealt by Urban Development department, and thus, Jal Jeevan urban will also be coming soon.

The minister also clarified that the 15th commission grant for water supply and sanitation comes under the Rural Development (RD) department and “the RD takes full responsibility to implement the reward given to them for sanitation and water supply and not PHED.”

‘RD department is in the process of performing and doing their work but it is an additional responsibility to oversee those physical work by PHED, and the department is in touch with the RD department to see that it is appropriately done, and then report is made to the PHED department so that we can give them technical support in other areas that are required,’ he explained.

He further stated that the grant for its implementation is being released in tranches and not all at once, which does not come to the PHED department.

“Delhi has their own calculation on money assistance to be given to the state government,” he stated.

Meanwhile, Mhonbemo Patton, Principal Secretary of PHED, said that the 15th grant commission has been awarded to Nagaland in different fields including water and sanitation and ‘the responsibility to implement is given to the RD department, and PHED is assisting’.

He updated that the RD is responsible for providing around 33,000 household water connection under the 15th finance commission.

“As far as the fund of Jal jeevan Mission is concerned, the entire process is monitored by the Ministry from Detailed Project Report (DPR), and the Ministry provides fund as per the approval. They monitor right from preparation of DPR till the execution of the plan, whereby periodically they have teams coming to the state to monitor,” he informed.

1,89,751 households provided FHTC

A total of 1,89,751 households have been provided FHTC under the JJM scheme across Nagaland in 2022 (till September 27), Chief Engineer and Head of Department, PHED, Repangyangba Longkumer said.