Puducherry has achieved the target of 100% piped water connection in rural areas under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Jal Shakti ministry said on Monday. Punjab, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman and Diu too have crossed the milestone of covering 75% of rural homes with assured tap water supply, the ministry added.
"Puducherry has become 'Har Ghar Jal' UT by ensuring that every rural home in the Union Territory gets a household tap connection, the ministry said in a statement. All 1.16 lakh rural households in Puducherry have tap water supply now, it said. With this, the Union Territory became the fourth State/UT after Goa, Telangana and Andaman and Nicobar Islands to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home under the Centre's flagship programme by 2024.
"Puducherry's achievement is another timely indicator of JJM's success as people living in rural areas can practice regular hand washing at home and maintain physical distancing by avoiding crowds at public stand posts, it said. In Punjab, 26.31 lakh households (76 per cent) out of 34.73 lakh have tap water supply and it plans for 100% coverage of all rural households by 2022.
The UT of Puducherry is now planning for effective treatment and reuse of greywater coming out of homes. The UT is actively working towards water source sustainability. The four regions, namely the Pondicherry region, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe region are at different locations, geographically separated from each other. Puducherry has various rivers and tributaries. There are five rivers in Puducherry district, seven in Karaikal district, two in Mah district and one in Yanam district drain into the sea, but none originates within the territory, the ministry said. Puducherry has 84 irrigation tanks and more than 500 ponds which are the lifeline for groundwater recharging systems, drinking water and agriculture.
Puducherry has been consistently working towards desilting of ponds and rejuvenation of its local water bodies, which is crucial for drinking water supply schemes, it added.