Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday directed officials to develop permanent drinking water sources to ensure there is no crisis in future.
Gehlot instructed officials to pay special attention to the availability of accessible drinking water while reviewing the progress of work under the Jal Jeevan Mission at his residence here.
He said that despite adverse geographical conditions and scattered habitations, the state government is leaving no stone unturned to complete the works under the Jal Jeevan Mission. “ The state government is working with full commitment to solving the drinking water problem,” according to an official release.
The chief minister directed officials to take strict action against illegal connections, the use of boosters and damage to water supply lines in the state.
Additional Chief Secretary of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department Subodh Agarwal said Rajasthan ranks third in the country in providing daily water connections under the mission.
On average, he said, 7,142 connections were given daily in the state in February and a target has been set to increase the figure to 8,000 in March.
PHE Department officials said a letter has been sent to the central government for approval of five major projects.
Water will be provided to 5,739 villages in Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli, Sawai Madhopur, Dholpur, Pratapgarh, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand, Udaipur, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu after these projects are approved and completed.
Public Health Engineering Minister Mahesh Joshi, Minister of State for Public Health Engineering Arjun Singh Bamnia, Additional Chief Secretary Finance Akhil Arora, Managing Director of Jal Jeevan Mission Avichal Chaturvedi and senior officers attended the meeting.
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