SHGs to assess status of tap water connections under Jal Jeevan Mission

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Assam's Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Jayanta Malla Baruah announced on Thursday that the functionality of all completed tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) will be assessed by using 24,000 Self Help Groups (SHGs) under the Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM).

He said that the SHGs will be tasked with surveying the 24 lakh households where Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) have been already provided. The SHGs will be provided with an app where they will enter the relevant findings during the household surveys. This app will enable the officials at various levels to monitor data about the functioning of the completed FHTCs

While chairing a review meeting with senior officials of the PHE Department at the Assam Administrative Staff College here, the Minister said that the focus is on ensuring that every household receives 55 litres of potable water per person each day.

In order to ensure that the service in reaching the needy and to remove all road blocks along the way, Baruah also announced the setting up of a comprehensive Grievance Redressal Mechanism, which will monitor and redress complaints and grievances registered via the toll-free Number 1800-889-3047 and different social media platform.

In addition, Baruah said that students of Class-9 to Class-12 will also be engaged to monitor and spread awareness regarding the JJM to the people of the villages. Officials of the PHE divisions will visit the schools and explain the functioning of the schemes. The students will be then taken to the nearest schemes on an exposure visit, after which they will be expected to submit a report. The best report will receive an award.

Baruah laid emphasis on training of volunteers for the operation and maintenance of schemes, in collaboration with the Skill Development Department. The Minister also focused on the importance of highlighting the toll-free number of the department in each and every scheme for posting of grievances by the people.

Earlier, Syedain Abbasi, Additional Chief Secretary, PHED etc., during his address flagged many important issues, including quality of work, functionality of infrastructure, progress in providing running water connection to schools and Anganwadi centres and immediate redress of failed schemes. Akash deep, Mission Director of the JJM, during his address to the participants emphasised on different aspects of implementation of JJM in Assam, such as better progress in achieving 100 per cent on Har Ghar Jal approach, quality of works implementation and importance of involvement of women SHG members to monitor functioning of piped water supply schemes (PWSS) and also water quality. A zonal review followed the welcome addresses by the senior officers of the department, wherein Upper Assam Zone, Lower Assam Zone, North Assam Zone, BTAD, Karbi Anglong and Dima Hasao Zone presented the updated status of implementation of JJM within the jurisdiction of their respective zones.

The special Secretary of PHED initiated a discussion on various new initiatives being taken up by the department, which includes e-billing process, involvement of SHGs, grievance redressal system and capacity-building approach. The participating officials of the department took part in a discussion, where different suggestions were extended to ensure meaningful implementation of JJM in Assam.

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