Meghalaya identifies 322 villages for focused Jal Jeevan Mission action, targeting reliable household tap water supply, infrastructure repairs, maintenance and sustainable service delivery.
Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has reviewed the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in the state and identified 322 villages requiring focused intervention to improve the reliability and functionality of household tap water connections.
The review meeting, held on Tuesday with senior officials of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department and the JJM Meghalaya team, focused on the actual delivery of drinking water to households rather than relying only on reported coverage figures. The assessment is part of preparations for the second phase of the Jal Jeevan Mission, with greater emphasis on sustainable and dependable rural water supply.
According to the assessment presented during the meeting, 87.32 per cent of villages in Meghalaya are receiving regular water supply, while 79.23 per cent have access to water on a daily basis. However, only 71.74 per cent of villages have achieved the required adequacy standards. The figures indicate that while coverage has expanded, significant challenges remain in ensuring sufficient and consistent water availability.
Sangma said that 322 villages had been identified for focused attention and stressed that providing household tap connections alone should not be considered the final objective of the mission. The government, he said, is committed to ensuring that these connections remain functional and provide dependable water supply to rural households.
The review also examined the reasons behind non-functional tap connections and the difficulties affecting existing water supply schemes. Officials discussed measures required to improve the performance of infrastructure already created under the mission and considered the preparation of a State Improvement Plan to address the identified shortcomings.
The proposed improvement plan is expected to include repair and retrofitting of existing water supply infrastructure, strengthening operation and maintenance (O&M) arrangements and measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of schemes. These interventions are intended to improve the reliability of water services and prevent existing household connections from becoming non-functional.
The latest assessment follows an earlier review of JJM implementation in Meghalaya, during which officials examined the status of household tap connections across various blocks and districts. The exercise was aimed at determining whether reported connections were actually delivering water to households and identifying areas where further intervention was necessary.
The focus on functional service delivery assumes importance as Meghalaya prepares for Jal Jeevan 2.0, the second phase of the national mission. The next phase is expected to place stronger emphasis on sustainability, regular service delivery, infrastructure maintenance and the continued functionality of rural water supply systems.
Meghalaya faces several challenges in providing reliable piped drinking water, including difficult terrain, infrastructure maintenance requirements and variations in water availability. These factors can affect the operation of rural water supply schemes even after household connections have been established.
The identification of 322 villages is therefore expected to help the state government prioritise resources and interventions. By concentrating on villages where water supply remains inadequate or unreliable, authorities aim to strengthen existing infrastructure and improve the actual delivery of drinking water.
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The review underlines a shift from measuring the number of household tap connections to evaluating whether those connections provide regular, adequate and sustainable water supply. With the second phase of the mission approaching, the Meghalaya government is seeking to address existing gaps and ensure that rural households receive dependable drinking water services over the long term.
