Shillong, Dec 21: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday said that the state has achieved a significant milestone by reaching 4,71,544 Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs), marking an impressive 72.37% coverage. Surpassing the national average of 72.1%, Meghalaya is making strides towards the ambitious goal of 100% FHTCs, a testament to the unwavering dedication of the Jal Jeevan Mission team in the state.

Taking to X (earlier known as Twitter), CM Sangma expressed his happiness, sharing a tweet highlighting Meghalaya’s remarkable progress.

Happy to share that Meghalaya has reached 4,71,544 (72.37%) Functional Household Tap Connections which is above the national average of 72.1%. Congratulations to team @jjmmeghalaya who continues to work diligently to ensure Meghalaya reaches its target of 100% FHTCs.@gssjodhpur…

— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) December 21, 2023

Meghalaya’s achievement of 4,71,544 connections is a testament to the dedicated efforts of the government in realizing this transformative vision. As of August 15, 2019, Meghalaya had 4,550 households (0.70%) with tap water connections. And to quantify this achievement, Meghalaya have grown from under 5,000 tap water connections in 2019 to a state of nearing 5 lakh connections.

Reflecting on this transformative journey, CM Conrad K Sangma said, “Today, Meghalaya has crossed the national average in terms of connections for Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). If you recall when we started the mission, Meghalaya was at 0.75 percent which was the lowest in the country. Today, after a lot of hard work being done by all the engineers, officials, departments, ministers, we have finally crossed the national average which is at 72.1% and Meghalaya, today is at 72.37%. We are very sure that in a very short time, we will be able to fulfil the 100 % target. We may be one of the first few states to complete it.”

“But while we say this, there are many challenges to be addressed. Apart from giving connections, we have challenges pertaining of the water source. Hence, we are working with all concerned departments such as Water Resources, Soil Conservation, Forest Department, and others to see how we could mitigate and adapt to these kinds of challenges that we are facing. However, I am happy that we have finally crossed the national average in terms of the connections and would really like to congratulate the concerned minister and the entire team especially the engineers, officials and the contractors who have made this possible,” he added.

Public Health Engineering Department Minister Marcuise Marak also expressed the government’s commitment to achieving 100% connections in the Jal Jeevan Mission. He emphasised, “I am overjoyed to announce that Meghalaya has achieved a major milestone in the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) implementation. With 4,71,544 connections today, our state proudly outperforms the national average of 72.1% with an astounding 72.37%. This accomplishment is a result of our communities’ and stakeholders’ combined efforts.”

He further said, “Our joint dedication to supplying Meghalayan households with readily available water supplies is the reason for this achievement. Let us move forward, adopting sustainable methods and encouraging community involvement, guided by the vision of our renowned Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma. By working together, we can create a Meghalaya in which every resident has uninterrupted access to clean water.”

This achievement underscores Meghalaya’s commitment to improving the lives of its citizens and achieving the overarching goals of the Jal Jeevan Mission. The state remains steadfast in its pursuit of ensuring water connections for every rural household, contributing significantly to the success of this flagship program.

Jal Jeevan Mission

At the outset of the Jal Jeevan Mission, merely 17% of India’s 18.93 Crore rural households had tap water connections. The mission is dedicated to closing this gap, striving to guarantee access to clean and safe drinking water for every rural household nationwide.

Read: CM Conrad Sangma spreads Christmas cheer with special kids from Mawkasiang’s Children Home

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