Nagaland participates in review meeting to advance Jal Jeevan Mission and SBM in NE States

Guwahati, July (MTNews): Nagaland participated in a review meeting held on 6 July in Guwahati to discuss the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) in the North Eastern states. The Nagaland team, led by Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Minister Jacob Zhimomi, attended the meeting which was chaired by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of Jal Shakti.

The Nagaland team comprised several key officials, including E Mhonbemo Patton, Principal Secretary to the Government of Nagaland, PHED; Chief Engineer and Head of Department, Repangyangba Longkumer; and Chief Engineer of Sanitation and Water Supply and Sanitation Support Organization (WSSO), T Sangtam.

During the meeting, Minister Zhimomi assured everyone that Nagaland is fully committed to successfully completing both the JJM and SBM (G) missions. He commended Union Minister Shekhawat for organizing the review meeting, which provided an opportunity for ministers in-charge of the Public Health Engineering/ Rural Water Supply departments from the North Eastern states to share experiences and strategies in implementing the missions.

Zhimomi emphasized the significance of such collaborative meetings, stating, “This gathering offers us a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge and strategies that will contribute to the successful completion of the JJM and SBM (G) missions.” He further highlighted the importance of learning from one another’s experiences and adopting best practices to ensure the missions’ successful outcomes.

Minister Zhimomi highlighted that the implementation of JJM in Nagaland began in 2019-20, and although there was a slower start, the pace has since accelerated. This progress was made possible by streamlining project approval and the award of work order procedures. Currently, out of the total 3,69,295 rural households in Nagaland, 2,65,928 households (72.01%) have been provided with Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC). The state aims to provide water supply to the remaining 1,03,367 households by December 2023.

Zhimomi also mentioned that 225 out of 472 Har Ghar Jal reported villages in Nagaland have been certified (47.67%), with the certification process underway for the rest. Notably, in the Kiphire Aspirational/Mission Utkarsh district, out of 14,991 households, 12,842 (85.67%) have received household tap connections, and efforts are underway to complete the remaining balance by December 2023 through coordination with the Rural Development Department.

The minister highlighted the importance of sustainability in hilly states like Nagaland, stating that a comprehensive plan for Springshed Management should be initiated under the Ministry of Jal Shakti for long-term solutions. He also emphasized the significance of monitoring and testing the quality of drinking water, and informed that 11 district laboratories and one state laboratory have been established in Nagaland for water sample testing.

Regarding skill development, Minister Zhimomi mentioned that the department has prioritized training personnel to overcome the shortfall in implementation due to a lack of trained manpower. He expressed satisfaction with the progress made under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) Phase-II, particularly the construction of Individual Household Latrines (IHHL), and noted that the state aims to complete the remaining IHHL construction on a priority basis.

Additionally, the minister highlighted the importance of Grey Water Management and community ownership of the invested infrastructure. He mentioned the intensive Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) campaigns undertaken by the Implementing Support Agency (ISA) involving NEIDA/ Tata Trust, with the release of videos and SBCC tools in local dialects.