Union Jal Shakti Minister reviews Jal Jeevan Mission Progress
Chandigarh: Union Minister for Jal Shakti, C.R. Patil on late Thursday evening chaired a meeting with all Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Members of Parliament from Haryana to review the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 at Haryana Bhawan, New Delhi. The meeting focused on strengthening the execution of the Mission to ensure sustainable and equitable access to safe drinking water across the State.
Addressing the meeting, C.R. Patil said that the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in Haryana should be further strengthened so that every household receives clean and safe drinking water. He emphasised that providing quality drinking water to citizens remains the Government’s foremost priority and assured that all proposals submitted by Haryana under the Mission would be examined positively.
The meeting was attended by Union Minister for Power, Housing and Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti V. Somanna, and Haryana Public Health Engineering and Public Works Minister Shri Ranbir Gangwa, among others.
C.R Patil said that the Ministry has initiated consultations with Members of Parliament across the country to make the Mission more effective at the grassroots level. As part of this exercise, he interacted with Haryana MPs individually to understand the drinking water-related issues in their respective constituencies. He assured them that all genuine concerns would be examined in detail and addressed appropriately.
Highlighting the scale of the initiative, the Union Minister said that Jal Jeevan Mission has provided tap water connections to nearly 16 crore households across the country, significantly improving access to safe drinking water for millions of families.
MPs should closely monitor quality of works
The Union Minister said that substantial financial assistance has been provided to States for various drinking water projects and stressed that the quality of execution must not be compromised. He urged Members of Parliament to closely monitor works being undertaken in their constituencies and report any deficiencies directly to the Ministry. Strict action, he said, would be taken against officials or contractors found responsible for substandard execution, adding that such action has already been initiated in certain cases.
Focus on rainwater harvesting
C.R Patil also underscored the need for large-scale rainwater harvesting, noting that a significant quantity of rainwater is lost every year. He said systematic conservation of rainwater would help augment groundwater resources and ensure long-term water security. He suggested that recharge borewells be developed to facilitate groundwater recharge and recommended constructing such structures in waterlogging-prone areas where rainwater naturally accumulates.
Create large water bodies in dark zones- Manohar Lal
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister, Manohar Lal proposed the development of around 100 large water bodies in Haryana’s dark zones to promote rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge. He said Panchayati land available in many villages could be utilised for this purpose.
He further observed that drinking water supply infrastructure requires continuous upgradation. Older infrastructure, he said, should be replaced in a planned and phased manner within defined timelines to ensure uninterrupted water supply to consumers.
Jal Jeevan Mission has been implemented effectively in Haryana- Ranbir Gangwa
Haryana Public Health Engineering Minister, Ranbir Gangwa said that Jal Jeevan Mission has been implemented successfully in the State, enabling tap water connectivity to households across Haryana. He said the initiative has significantly eased the burden on women by eliminating the need to fetch water from distant sources.
The Minister said that Haryana has developed a robust drinking water infrastructure and remains committed to providing every citizen with safe and clean drinking water. Water supply-related public grievances are being resolved promptly, while water testing laboratories have also been established across the State.
Sharing the progress achieved under the Mission, Ranbir Gangwa informed that 6,557 schemes, with a total estimated cost of Rs. 4,786 crore, have been approved under Jal Jeevan Mission. Of these, 6,186 schemes have already been completed, while work on the remaining projects is progressing.
He further shared that in some districts the groundwater table has risen, resulting in damage to old water storage tanks, and requested financial support for their reconstruction. He also sought assistance for extending piped drinking water supply to small dhanis comprising 10–20 families and urged the Centre to provide grants keeping in view Haryana’s specific geographical and infrastructural requirements.
Union Minister of State for Cooperation, Krishan Pal Gurjar; Members of Parliament Dharambir Singh, Deepender Singh Hooda, Jai Prakash, Naveen Jindal, Satyapal Brahmachari, Varun Chaudhary, Sanjay Bhatia, Subhash Barala, Rekha Sharma, Kartikeya Sharma and Karmbir Singh Bauddh; Secretary, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ashok K. K. Meena; Principal Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhawan, Pankaj Yadav; Resident Commissioner, Haryana Bhawan, Ms. Mona Srinivas; Additional Secretary and Mission Director, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Kamal Kishore Soan; Joint Secretary, D. Senthil Pandian; Joint Secretary and Mission Director, Ms. Aishwarya Singh; Principal Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, Haryana, Pankaj Yadav, along with other senior officers, were also present.
