Team Herald
PANJIM: With Goa declared as the first State in the country to provide 100 per cent tap water connections in rural areas, the State government now intends to introduce sensor-based service delivery monitoring system so as to monitor the functionality of potable water in adequate and prescribed quality.
Sawant tweeted, “Government of India announces Goa as the first State across the nation to provide 100 per cent tap water connections to all households.”
“Goa has earned itself the unique distinction of becoming the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State in the country as it successfully provides 100 per cent functional household tap connections (FHTCs) in the rural areas covering 2.30 lakh rural
households,” the statement from the ministry said.
“Having achieved universal access, the State now plans for a sensor-based service delivery monitoring system so as to monitor the functionality of water supply, that is potable water in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality being provided to every rural household on a regular and long-term basis,” the Ministry added.
The two districts – North Goa with 1.65 lakh rural households and South Goa with 98,000 rural households in 191 gram panchayats – are ‘fully saturated’ with assured piped water supply through tap connections.
This, however, works to over 2.60 lakh households in the State, of which 2.30 lakh households have already been provided with household tap connections.
Earlier in June, Shekhawat had written to the Chief Minister and expressed happiness that the State is planning to provide 100 per cent Functional Household Tap Connections in rural areas by 2021.
The fund allocation to Goa in 2020-21 was increased from around Rs three crore to over Rs 12 crore.
To strengthen water testing facilities, the State is in the process of getting 14 water quality testing laboratories accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
