Shillong, Aug 18: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday said 322 villages in Meghalaya require focused attention to improve household water supply, as the government reviewed progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission and prepared for Jal Jeevan 2.0.
Sangma chaired the review meeting with the Public Health Engineering Department and the JJM Meghalaya team, with an emphasis on the actual functionality of household tap connections rather than just reported coverage.
According to the assessment, 87.32 per cent of villages receive regular water supply and 79.23 per cent get water daily. However, only 71.74 per cent meet adequacy requirements, pointing to gaps in both reliability and quantity of water reaching households.
“We have identified 322 villages requiring focused attention,” Sangma said in a post on X following the meeting.
The meeting also examined reasons behind non-functional tap connections and discussed a state improvement plan covering repairs, retrofitting, operation and maintenance costs, and the long-term sustainability of water supply schemes.
The exercise was taken up as a follow-up to an earlier review, with assessments conducted across blocks and districts to determine real water availability and identify gaps in coverage and functionality.
Sangma said the government’s focus is to ensure that every tap connection provides reliable, adequate and regular water to every household in Meghalaya.
