Thane, May 7: The ambitious ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, aimed at providing tap water to every rural household, has hit a significant bottleneck in Thane district. Despite the central government's goal to eliminate dependency on water tankers, the ‘Har Ghar Nal Se Jal’ initiative is currently floundering due to a severe liquidity crunch and administrative hurdles.
Mounting dues and slow progress
The primary catalyst for the slowdown is a staggering Rs 134 crore in unpaid bills owed to contractors. This financial backlog has caused work to grind to a halt or slow down significantly across multiple sites. While the project was launched in 2019 with a target completion date of 2024, the objective remains a distant reality.
Out of the 791 villages in the district, only 197 have been officially declared as achieving ‘Har Ghar Jal’ status. The remaining villages are stuck in various stages of incomplete infrastructure.
Project scope and challenges
The administration has undertaken a total of 1,180 water supply schemes, which include:
. 420 retrofitting projects (upgrading existing old schemes).
. 300 new projects.
. Officials cite several critical obstacles preventing timely completion:
Drying water sources: Depleting groundwater levels have made some schemes unviable.
Land Acquisition: Local disputes and hurdles in acquiring land for infrastructure.
Technical Issues: Difficulties in laying pipelines across varied terrain.
Lack of Funds: The most pressing issue, affecting the immediate continuation of work.
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The human cost
While the administration claims that 1,97,498 households have received domestic tap connections, over 63,000 families are still waiting. In rural pockets, women continue to endure the physical hardship of fetching water from distant sources. Local residents are now demanding that the administration release funds immediately to fulfil the promise of "a tap in every home."
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