Village leaders junk Jal Jeevan Mission success tale
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, July 30 2024: Jal Jeevan Mission, which was launched in August 2019 as a flagship programme aimed at providing tap water supply to all rural households in adequate quantity and prescribed quality by 2024, appears to be a success, as claimed by government authorities, only on paper as many households in both hilly and valley regions are yet to have a water tap connection.

According to the beneficiary list contained in the official Jal Jeevan Mission website, many rural households, which have no access to tap water, are still categorised as beneficiaries of the mission.

Laying bare the facts, a representative of the headmen, chairpersons and village authority of 10 villages in both valley and hills filed a complaint to the Manipur State Human Rights Commission.

Addressing media persons in this regard at Chingmeirong Maning Leikai, here, on Monday, Kachai Village Authority secretary Warmihor Lolly Vashum alleged discrepancies in the beneficiary list uploaded on the website of the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Contrary to official record claiming 718 households in Kachai village there are only 650 households with the website also falsely mentioning 612 households (84.24 percent) provided with tap water connections, the secretary said, further alleging that individuals who do not reside in the village have been included in the Village and Water Sanitation Committee.

The website also finds mention about maintenance personnel, who actually are not from the village.

Moreover, of the five-member field testing team one does not reside in the village anymore, one of the members is over 80 years of age while another mentioned is an individual who passed away a decade ago, elaborated Lolly Vashum.

Further disclosing that there are no pipelines installed, though one distributor tank and two reserve tanks have been constructed in the village, he strongly condemned the erroneous report uploaded on the website.

Chipping in, Maram Khullen Sagai Village authority secretary Pung Marius highlighted that as per the portal, 472 out of 556 households (84.27 percent) in the village have been provided tap water connections under the Mission regardless of the fact that no pipeline has been laid till date, thereby making the villagers to endure acute water shortages for extended period, which the government has ignoring.

Marius alleged manipulated reports on the official Jal Jeevan Mission website purportedly to deceive the public.

Also present at the media briefing, one Haobijam Shamungou of Phubala in Bishnupur district expressed frustration over his futile efforts to secure a tap Water connection under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Despite consistent efforts, he is yet to receive water at home, the Phubala resident said and expressed shocked over finding his details contained as beneficiary number 101 on the official website.

Furthermore, the website falsely claims that 531 households in Phubala have been provided with tap water, whereas in reality, only around 240-250 households currently have access and are paying water taxes.

Only about 50 percent of the village's households have actually been connected, he maintained.

Shamungou lamented misleading information incorporated on the website, and instead urged the government to ensure that the Jal Jeevan Mission serve its purpose.

Meanwhile, Chingkhulug Kamei from Nungba in Noney district, who attended the press conference, acknowledged that certain infrastructure projects related to the Mission are underway, such as construction of water tanks and reservoirs.

However, not a single household in the village has received tap water connection.

Despite this reality, the official website reports that 90 percent of households in Nungba have been provided with tap water connections, a claim that starkly contrasts with the actual situation on the ground.

Shangmunrang Tonthang, representing Khoibu village in Tamenglong district, also highlighted disparity in the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Despite the village having a total of 207 households and situated in a border area, the official website falsely claims that all households have been provided tap water connections whereas only seven households have tap water connections.

On the other hand, environmental activist Ram Wangkheirakpam informed media persons that the central gpvernment has sanctioned a total of Rs 1090 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission for Manipur, as highlighted on the official website, which also claims that 80 percent of the total households in Manipur have been provided with tap water connections under this flagship programme.

Ruing false and manipulated reports uploaded on the official website, he called for urgent implementation of the mission in Manipur to provide potable drinking water to communities perennially facing shortage of water.

He further called upon the government to intervene promptly, ensuring those responsible for manipulating and submitting false reports are held accountable.

Ram also urged the government to rectify the misleading information on the website to reflect the true status of water supply efforts in Manipur.

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