PM Modi lays foundation stone for Manipur water supply project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday laid the foundation Stone for Manipur Water Supply Project through video conferencing. 

Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region Jitendra Singh, Manipur Governor Najma Akbar Ali Heptulla, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh also attended the event through video conferencing.

"Prosperity and progress are directly linked to connectivity. Connectivity in the Northeast is important, not for only east of living, but also for achieving the goal for a safe and self-reliant India," he said during his address.

The Central Government initiated the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide safe and adequate quantity drinking water to every rural household of the country by 2024 with the motto “Har Ghar Jal”. The programme also implements source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting.

The Jal Jeevan Mission is based on a community approach to water and has extensive Information, Education and Communication as a key components of the mission. It looks to create a Jan Andolan for water, thereby making it everyone’s priority, the Prime Minister's Office said in a press release.  

There are about 19 crore households in India. Only 24% have Freshwater Household Tap Connections (FHTCs). The Mission aims to provide 14.33 crore households with FHTC through partnership of all stakeholders including inter alia the State governments, Panchayat Raj Institutions and local communities, the PMO said. 

Government of India has provided funds under Jal Jeevan Mission to Manipur for FHTCs to cover 1,185 habitations with 1,42,749 households. Government of Manipur has planned to cover the remaining households through additional sources of funding including funds from Department for Development of North Eastern Region.  

An externally funded project, the Manipur Water Supply project was designed to provide FHTCs to remaining households in Greater Imphal Planning area, 25 Towns and for 1,731 rural habitations covering 2,80,756 households in 16 Districts of Manipur. 

Manipur Water Supply Project is an important component of efforts of the state government to achieve the goal of Har Ghar Jal by 2024. The project outlay is about Rupees 3054.58 Crores with a loan component funded by New Development Bank, the PMO added.