Jodhpur, March 24 (IANS) In the arid landscape of Rajasthan’s Jodhpur, the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission Yojana’ has brought a transformative change, improving the lives of hundreds of families. The mission, aimed at providing “water to every home,” is making a real difference in Khokhariya Gram Panchayat, where around 700 families now benefit from easy access to clean drinking water.
The project has equipped homes with new tap water connections, lifting a heavy burden on the villagers who once struggled with irregular and costly water supply. For years, residents had to rely on water tankers, which often meant long waits and a hefty price tag. Today, the story is different. Clean water flows directly into their homes, thanks to the government’s initiative under the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission.’
Speaking to IANS, Mangana Ram, a resident of Khokhariya said: “Earlier, water in our village was in a very bad state. We had to pay anywhere between Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 just to get access to water. But now, thanks to the Jal Jeevan Mission, clean water arrives every 15 days. It’s a huge improvement.”
Another villager added: “Before this, water came only through tankers. Now, we have water in every house. I sincerely thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government for making this possible.”
The ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ has not only changed the lives of the men in the village, but also greatly benefited the women, who have been the primary caretakers of water collection.
One woman expressed her gratitude, saying: “Our village now has water thanks to PM Modi. We are all thankful to him for this scheme that has made our lives easier.”
Another woman said: “Thank you to PM Modi, because of whom we now have access to clean water in our village.”
The project, worth Rs 3.76 crore, has brought extensive development to Khokhariya.
Sarpanch Govind Singh elaborated on the scale of the work undertaken.
“A new water supply line was laid, a pump house was built, and service quarters were also constructed. Earlier, water was a daily struggle in the village, but now, we’re seeing real change. Approximately 700 to 800 families are benefiting from this initiative.”
Before the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission,’ Khokhariya residents had to stage frequent protests just to ensure they received their daily water supply. Today, the situation is vastly improved with water taps installed in every home, and the community is beginning to see the positive impact of this change.
Launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2019, the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ has set out to ensure every rural household has a tap water connection. At its inception, only 17 per cent of rural households had tap water connections. The mission aims to bridge this gap by providing nearly 16 crore new households with tap water by 2024, thus directly benefiting over 19 crore rural families.
As of August 12, 2024, the mission has already connected 11.82 crore additional rural households, taking the total number of connected households to over 15.07 crore, which is approximately 78 per cent of rural India.
–IANS
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