Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 17: Chief Secretary, Mohammad Iqbal Khandey today reviewed the implementation of the National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP) by State Water & Sanitation Mission (SWSM) at a high level meeting here.
The financial and physical aspects of the program for the year 2013-14 were discussed during the meeting. Commissioner Secretary PHE, Dr Pawan Kotwal apprised the meeting that Rs 236 crore have been spent out of the available fund of Rs 374 crore against the total annual outlay of Rs 712.67 crore.
Chief Secretary while reviewing the progress said that over the years significant interventions have been made to supply portable drinking water to the rural people; however it has also been observed that our traditional water bodies and streams have suffered collective neglect on account of this new alternate facility.
He said that earlier every village had multiple sources of clean drinking water and clear streams would run through the middle of the village, adding that neglect, encroachment, disturbance to and around these natural water sources has resulted in huge damage to this natural water system that sustained our villages.
Chief Secretary said that now our villages are dependent on single drinking water source that is mostly supplied through water pipes. He said in whatever we do under our various PHE Schemes, we have to move away from over dependence on this single drinking water source and supply to multiple sources, through conjunctive use of surface water, groundwater and rainwater harvesting besides encouraging water conservation methods including revival and rejuvenation of traditional water bodies.
Earlier, Dr Pawan Kotwal said that under the revised guidelines the average per capita water consumption standard in rural areas has been increased from 35 litres per day to 55 litres per day. As such, the villages which were earlier categorised as fully covered will now be categorised as partially covered.
He said the PHE Department is also developing the capability of drinking water testing in every village and for the purpose Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) have been constituted under the NRDWP. To ensure quality testing, Field Test Kits (FTKs) and necessary training is being provided to the field functionaries of PHE and VWSCs to monitor water quality using these FTKS, he added.
He said number of Sub-District Level Water Testing Laboratories, Sub-Divisional Level Laboratories are also been set up besides DPRs for 3 Provincial Level Water Quality Labs one each at Jammu, Srinagar and Leh have been prepared and are being submitted to Union Government for approval.
Principal Secretary Planning and Development B.R. Sharma, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister B.B.Vyas, and other Administrative Secretaries and officers were present in the meeting.
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