Jharkhand to get Centre's help in supplying drinking water to arsenic-hit areas

Ranchi, Sep 15: Jharkhand will get help from the Centre in providing drinking water in areas affected by fluoride and arsenic, an official release said here today.

This was decided in a meeting between Chief Minister Raghubar Das and Union Secretary for Drinking and Sanitation Parmeswaran Aiyar, which also discussed about cleanliness drive and the menace of open defecation, the release said, adding Jharkhand government will send a detailed project report on it. December 2018 has been set as a target to make Jharkhand ODF (Open Defecation Free) and the work would be done through panchayat secretariats, Das said.

After identifying the beneficiaries, money would be transported in their accounts, he added. To invoke competitive spirit among villages, Das said, water would be supplied by pipes in all ODF villages, there will be priority in laying roads and prizes would be given to the best villages.

Self help groups would be involved in this movement, Das said, adding it would be given the shape of a people's movement. He said while Block Development Officers would be trained to executive schemes, in turn, the BDOs would train Panchayat Mukhias and their volunteers.

Meetings of gram sabhas would begin from October 2 and will continue for the entire month. The Chief Minister said he would also join in the meetings, along with other cabinet ministers, chief secretary, secretaries and other officials.

Chief Secretary Rajbala Verma, Swachh Bharat Mission Director Nipun Vinayak, Drinking and Sanitation department Principal Secretary A P Singh and CM’s secretary Sunil Kumar Burnwal were present in the meeting.

PTI