Will meet piped water target despite outbreak: Jal Shakti minister

The coronavirus illness (Covid-19) pandemic has made no distinction to India’s said purpose of offering piped water to all households by 2024, Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat mentioned. In an interview to Hindustan Times, Shekhawat conceded that in some states, it was a problem to supply water for frequent washing of fingers that well being consultants advise as a manner of protecting the virus at bay.

He added: “Looking towards the challenge itself, PM had envisaged this programme (Jal Jeevan Mission) . You may call it luxury but we are going to achieve it in the targeted time.” Edited excerpts:

Your ministry’s goal has been to supply faucet water to all by 2024. Has the coronavirus illness pandemic made any distinction to the plan?

No, by no means. We are nonetheless set for our objectives for 2024 and offering practical consuming water to each family. Before this Covid interval, we had been working arduous ever since PM introduced this on 15 August from Red Fort. We requested states to gather the low hanging fruits– villages that have already got current, sustainable sources of water — might begin retrofitting pipes. I can proudly say that we’ve got achieved our purpose for the primary 12 months. Simultaneously, throughout the Covid interval, the two.5 months, we weren’t sitting idle. We repeatedly did conferences with states and ministers. We needed to make use of this era to finish the planning for the implementation of this programme. We requested them to make their state execution plan for this 12 months and the remaining three years.

So you’re finishing the theoretical half throughout the lockdown?

Yes and as quickly as the development exercise was allowed in Lockdown 2, we requested states to begin work as quickly as doable. Today, for instance, I had conferences with Chattisgarh CM and Madhya Pradesh CM and I’ve requested CMs to make use of the Jal Jeevan Mission as a programme to supply employment on the grassroots degree. Since each village needs to be offered piped water, each village could have work for laying pipes, digging trenches, etcetera. MNREGA {Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act} funds has been elevated, so we’ve got requested states to utilise that cash as nicely by consolidating funds so you’re offering employment and attaining (piped water) targets.

So there’s a convergence of provide and demand? But your ministry information says solely 18% individuals have piped water proper now. So how tough is it for individuals to apply washing of fingers?

It is absolutely difficult, however water was not accessible as an entire however by way of the water consuming water programme and work of the states over time, it was accessible within the shut neighborhood. Whether it’s within the 50-100 metres and for another villages, it’s a longer distance, however nonetheless it was accessible. We wrote a letter to the states throughout the lockdown, to make sure sustainable water provide by way of these public standposts or widespread sources of water.

But virtually talking, it have to be an issue. Isn’t it a luxurious to have the ability to wash fingers ceaselessly? Especially in states like West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, which have only one%, and Biha, which has 2% households with piped water.

It is a problem. Looking in the direction of the problem itself, PM had envisaged this programme (Jal Jeevan Mission) . You could name it luxurious however we’re going to obtain it within the focused time.

What do you make of the unintended effects that we’re seeing of the lockdown? Reports that the Ganga has change into a lot cleaner. Do you concern that issues will instantly return as quickly because the lockdown ends?

There are three seen causes of water pollution–sewage, industrial effluents and third, by human interactions. Out of three, two had been closed–industry and the human interactions, because of the lockdown. Because of that there are modifications which have been noticed within the high quality of water however so far as the Ganga is anxious, it’s not a serious distinction. In the Ganga, within the final Kumbh final 12 months, 22 crore individuals noticed modifications within the high quality of water. That’s due to the mission mode effort underneath the PM of Namami Gange. In the month of October- November, we did a rafting expedition from Devprayag to Rishikesh. In these 90 odd kilometres, I simply picked up some water from the river in my glass and it was completely potable. In this season, because the water comes from melting snow, it seems comparatively higher. Similiar place can be within the Yamuna water, there was vital rainfall which elevated the water within the river. It was a coincidence that there have been premature rains in any other case we solely see sewage within the Yamuna on this interval. Water for harvest was additionally not taken out of the river so amount of water elevated.

Looking on the industrial shutdown as a possibility, Prime Minister instructed us to take samples of the river and use this era as a possibility to review, how a lot air pollution is contributed by way of industrial effluence. This can be utilized for future planning.

So how will you employ it?

We have collected all the info of various stretches of the Yamuna and Ganga throughout the lockdown interval. Now we’re capable of inform how a lot air pollution is contributed by sewage within the metropolis and the way a lot by industries. So we’ve got tied up with Central Pollution Control Board and likewise with the IITs {Indian Institutes of Technology} aside from our inner our bodies so on the finish of it, we’ll have intensive information on this.