MP to bring operation & maintenance policy for village tap water schemes

Bhopal: As the Madhya Pradesh government completes two years in office, Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Sampatiya Uike on Tuesday said the state will soon introduce the country’s first operation and maintenance (O&M) policy for village tap water schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), positioning MP as a national leader in rural drinking water supply.

Addressing the media, Uike said the state considers safe drinking water a basic right and has undertaken sustained and result-oriented efforts to ensure safe, continuous and quality tap water to every rural household. She said the initiatives have brought not only physical achievements but also positive social and economic changes in rural areas.

Principal Secretary of PHED P. Narahari was also present at the press conference.

Under the JJM, the state has launched several innovative measures to strengthen rural drinking water systems, including renewable energy plants to meet 100 per cent power requirements of group water supply schemes. Pilot projects for round-the-clock tap water supply are being implemented in select villages.

In the first in the country, tunnel-based water supply infrastructure is being developed under the Satna–Bansagar scheme to ensure sustainable and reliable drinking water delivery.

At present, more than 81.21 lakh rural households in Madhya Pradesh are receiving clean drinking water daily through tap connections, covering nearly 73 per cent of the target population. So far, 10,440 villages have been declared “Har Ghar Jal”, while Burhanpur has been certified by the Centre as the country’s first Har Ghar Jal district.

The minister said over 13.69 lakh new tap connections were provided in the last two years. All single-village tap water schemes in the Ujjain division have been completed.

Highlighting the social impact, Uike said household tap water has saved women time earlier spent fetching water, enabling them to take up income-generating activities. She added that access to safe drinking water has reduced water-borne diseases, medical expenses and improved school attendance, especially among girls.

On quality assurance and transparency, Uike said all state water testing laboratories have received NABL accreditation. Over 10 lakh water samples have been tested.

She reaffirmed that all rural households will be provided tap water connections within the next three years, with special focus on tribal areas.