BASAR, Jun 3: A meeting of the District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) Committee of Leparada district was held at the DC’s conference hall here on Tuesday, as Deputy Commissioner-cum-Chairperson DWSM, Leparada, Himani Meena chaired the meet that deliberated on matters pertaining to the implementation, monitoring, and sustainability of water supply initiatives in the district.
During the meeting, detailed deliberations were held on key agenda items including the implementation status of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0, operation and maintenance of in-village water supply assets by Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), Jal Seva Ankalan, Sujalam activities, water revenue collection by VWSCs, functionality status of Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs), and measures to ensure long-term sustainability of water sources.
Addressing the members, the DC informed that JJM 2.0 is focused not only on ensuring the functionality of water supply infrastructure but also on strengthening the long-term sustainability of water supply systems to guarantee uninterrupted and efficient service delivery.
She emphasized that sustaining the functionality of JJM projects requires a coordinated and collective effort involving all stakeholder departments and village communities to safeguard water sources and maintain the long-term viability of water supply infrastructure.
The DC further stressed that all identified critical water sources must be revived through coordinated and convergent efforts of concerned government departments, including Panchayat, Forest, and Rural Development departments. She highlighted the importance of undertaking activities such as afforestation, water harvesting, and other source sustainability interventions with active community participation so that critical water sources may gradually improve from critical to sub-critical and eventually to non-critical status, thereby ensuring long-term water security in the district.
In his address, Bomi Nyorak, executive engineer PHED Basar Division, who is member secretary DWSM Leparada, apprised the house of various agenda points and presented an overview of the current status of water resources in the district. He informed that out of 107 water sources identified by the department, 21 have been categorized as sub-critical owing to the gradual decline in water volume and accelerated drying trends observed over the years. He emphasized the urgent need for appropriate rejuvenation and conservation measures to restore the sustainability of these sources.
Member Secretary further informed the house that the sanitation component in villages has now been fully handed over to the Panchayat Department for operation and maintenance. Earlier managed under a convergence arrangement between the Panchayat Department and PHED, the responsibility will henceforth be fully overseen and managed by the Panchayat Dept to ensure effective implementation and maintenance of sanitation-related activities in rural areas as per government directives. (DIPRO)