Vadodara district has become the sixth district in Gujarat to make optimum use of Jal Jeevan Mission started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jal Jeevan Mission is aimed at providing safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India.
Under this scheme, tap connections have been provided to all houses in Vadodara district. Some villages in the district are getting 24 hours water supply and have learnt to make judicious use of water.
Inhabitants of Bhekhda village began using excess water without understanding that it is an invaluable natural resource and should not be wasted.
When the village water committee learnt about the water consumption habits, they told the villagers to use water carefully. Finding that their advice was not being heeded, the committee fixed a time for water distribution.
Thanks to timely interventions by the village water committee, Bhekhda has now become a model village and is an inspiration to other villages to prevent wastage of water.
Hitesh Patel, a member of the village water committee, says that a high water tank was built in their village a few years ago with 20 per cent public participation under Wasmo (Water and Sanitation Management Organisation) scheme. Water is supplied from the new borehole to provide water to the village for 24 hours. Under Jal Jeevan Mission, tap connection has been provided in all 170 houses of the village.
Patel says that water is now supplied to the village two times a day for an hour each, in the morning and evening. This has been done to eliminate any possibility of wastage of water. Prudent use of water in the village has also helped in cutting down the cost of electricity. He says that water tax is also collected by the village water committee. A nominal water tax of Rs 300 per year has been levied by the Gram panchayat and more than 80% of this tax is collected.
Bhekhda can be called a model village. CCTV cameras have been installed inside and the inner roads are made of RCC. A health and wellness centre has also been set up which has proved to be a boon for the villagers during the COVID pandemic. The village has also got internet through optic fiber. WiFi has been activated in many houses in the village.
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