By NE NOW NEWS
Guwahati: Lower Subansiri district in Arunachal Pradesh has attained complete household tap water connectivity under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), bringing piped drinking water to every rural household in the district, officials said.
The milestone was reviewed during a meeting chaired by Deputy Commissioner Oli Perme in Ziro, where officials assessed the implementation of water supply schemes and outlined strategies to maintain the achievement in the years ahead.
With the latest accomplishment, all 15,740 rural households spread across the district’s two development blocks now have access to tap water. The coverage includes 109 gram panchayats, 200 villages and 271 habitations, significantly improving access to safe drinking water in rural areas.
Officials said the focus has now shifted from infrastructure creation to ensuring the efficient operation and long-term sustainability of water supply systems. To strengthen oversight and technical assistance, the district administration has established a 10-member District Technical Unit (DTU) comprising engineers, consultants, laboratory personnel and field operators.
The newly formed unit will be responsible for monitoring the performance of water supply projects, addressing technical issues and ensuring regular maintenance of infrastructure across the district.
During the review, special attention was given to the conservation of water sources and the need to prepare for challenges linked to changing climatic conditions and seasonal variations in water availability. Officials stressed that safeguarding water resources would be critical to sustaining uninterrupted supply in the future.
To this end, the Source Finding Committee has been entrusted with identifying and developing reliable water sources while also taking measures to protect existing ones from depletion and degradation.
The meeting also discussed plans to extend drinking water services to newly developed settlements and reinforce the role of Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) in managing local water infrastructure. Greater community participation, officials noted, would be key to ensuring the success and sustainability of the programme.
In addition, the administration underscored the importance of improving revenue collection systems and implementing the Jal Seva Ankalan framework to strengthen service delivery, transparency and accountability in rural water supply management.
Officials described the achievement as a major step forward in the state’s efforts to provide safe and dependable drinking water to rural communities and a significant contribution to the successful implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Arunachal Pradesh.