OUR CORRESPONDENT
TEZPUR: An orientation programme on Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission (G) for presidents and secretaries of various Gaon Panchayats of Sonitpur district was held at the District Library auditorium on Thursday.
The JalJeevan Mission with the motto Har Ghar Nalka Jal has been launched with the objective to provide drinking water connections to all households in the country by 2024. However, in case of Sonitpur district the deadline for providing Functional Household Tap Connections to all households is 2022.
Deputy Commissioner and chairman, District Water and Sanitation Mission, ManvendraPratap Singh chaired the meeting. DDC Farouk Alam, Superintending Engineer, Tezpur PHE Division, Kamal Medhi, Joint Director Health Services Dr. J Ahmed, and other officials and staff of the PHE department were present in the meeting.
Presidents and secretaries of various GaonPanchayats, AnchalikPanchayats and others took part in the day-long programme. Moreover, the management of a total of 128 Piped Water Supply Schemes in the district was ceremonially handed over to the local GP presidents and secretaries for their maintenance and functioning. Out of these, 67 are under PHE Division I and 61 are under PHE Division II.
Speaking on the occasion, Deputy Commissioner ManvendraPratap Singh stressed the need to turn this campaign into a people's movement or Jan Andolan so that the local community could be sensitized about the need for effective and proper management practices to provide assured safe water, organizing awareness campaigns to sensitize local communities on their role and responsibilities in ensuring safe water to children and bringing out good practices and promoting learning through exchange of successes and failures. He urged upon the PRI beneficiaries present to take responsibility of implementing the scheme at the ground level and also to mobilize the people to take part in this change being advocated for better living standards of the people.
The day-long programme was conducted by IEC consultant, SBM, ManashBhuyan who later also gave a presentation on JalJeevan Mission and conducted an interactive session with the PRI representatives along with District Associate for JalJeevan Mission, Ruchismita Bora. State Consultant, SWLM, DipamPatowary, DrSunandaTamuly, TanujaBaruah, RupkamalPatangia and HirankuHazarika were present on the occasion as resource persons.