Goa becomes first state with piped water in all homes
Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the Goa administration on Friday for being the first state to be 'Har Ghar Jal-certified,' which means that every household in Goa has access to piped water. "Goa has been taking the lead in various missions," the PM reportedly stated. In a virtual speech, he stated that Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman, and Diu have also achieved this accomplishment.
Why does this story matter?
A state achieving water security for its citizens is an important achievement in its story of development. Goa CM Pramod Sawant and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended the Har Ghar Jal Utsav under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Panaji. "A matter of pride for the people of Goa," Sawant stated, applauding government ministries that "worked consistently throughout the two years of COVID-19."
What did the PM say?
"Today, 10 crore rural households....have been connected to piped clean water facilities. This is a big success of the government's campaign to deliver water to every household," Modi said. He stated that the Jal Jeevan Abhiyan wasn't only a government project but one that was administered by and for the community. Modi highlighted that many states will soon join Goa in accomplishing this mission.
'Institutions of local governance have been given unprecedented role': PM
PM Modi further highlighted that the Jal Jeevan Mission is built on four pillars: people's participation, stakeholder participation, political will, and optimum utilization of resources. "Local people and Gram Sabhas and other institutions of local governance have been given an unprecedented role in the campaign. Local women are trained for water testing and are members of 'Paani Samitis'," he reportedly stated.
'Optimum utilization of resources is reflected in synergizing with schemes like MGNREGA'
"Optimum utilization of resources is reflected in synergizing with schemes like MGNREGA. Saturation of piped water will also eliminate the possibility of any discrimination," he added. Notably, the coastal state of Goa has reportedly a population of around 18 lakh.
Other details regarding the development
The PM emphasized that 16 crore people lacked piped drinking water in 2019, due to which the project was launched. In his address, he also mentioned the new technology uses, including geo-tagging of water sources and worldwide web solutions for water delivery and quality control.
