The Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department has issued a denial over claims of irregularities in the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), a central government scheme to provide piped water to rural homes.
There have been numerous claims of failures in the JJM scheme in Garo Hills especially, with villagers claiming variously that pipes have been laid but no water flows through them, that pipes are of poor quality, that individual projects are labeled as complete when the work is far from finished, etc.
“We have made significant progress in providing drinking water supply to villages across the state including Garo Hills,” a press release from the Additional Chief Engineer (PHE) Zone 2, Tura said. “However, as the project is still ongoing, we are resolving different challenges we face during the implementation phase. While there are challenges such as objections to water sources, land acquisition issues, etc, these are actively being addressed by our field engineers.”
Delays in a few projects are mainly due to unavoidable obstacles like climatic conditions and logistical issues, the release added, which have made some contractors extend their timelines. “It is important to emphasise that no villages will be left out in the completion process of the JJM. Thus, we urge the citizens not to fear that contractors might abandon the projects.”
“There is a significant gap in public understanding and dissemination of information regarding the current status of JJM schemes, leading to unnecessary assumptions and allegations,” the Additional Chief Engineer stated. “Despite these challenges, our field officers are working tirelessly to ensure the successful implementation of the scheme.
