Guwahati, Jul 6 (PTI) The North Eastern states have made significant progress in the implementation of the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ (JJM) with Assam achieving 54 per cent progress, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Thursday.
Assam has progressed well due to the efforts of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma who reviews the progress periodically and Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, Shekhawat said at a press conference after chairing a review meeting with NE states on the progress of JJM and Swachh Bharat Mission, Grameen (SBM-G).
He urged the northeast states to expedite the implementation of these two flagship schemes.
The Union minister said that except Assam, all northeastern states will achieve the 100 per cent goal of the Jal Jeevan Mission by January 26, 2024.
He hoped that Assam will also achieve the desired goal later in 2024.
“We know that swachhta and drinking water are the main elements of ease of living for people and strengthening of Gramin Bharat. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolution to declare India as ‘open defecation free’, has been achieved, and this is considered as a step towards complete sanitation”, he said.
The villages are now progressing towards establishing waste management like solid waste management, organic waste management, plastic waste management as well as management of cow-dung, the minister said.
He said that 40 per cent of the villages in our country have got open defecation free (ODF) status with Sikkim achieving 100 per cent ODF status.
Earlier, 62 per cent of citizens were without proper sanitation systems but now 100 per cent of India’s population have accessible toilets, either in-home or community toilets.
The country has achieved 64 per cent progress in safe drinking water and accessible water for the population, Shekhawat added. PTI DG RG
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