Bhubaneswar: A team led by Ashok K. K. Meena, Secretary of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Union government’s Jal Shakti Ministry, visited Odisha on Thursday to review the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) in the state.
At the review meeting, Meena commended Odisha’s significant progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission. He expressed satisfaction with the state government’s approach to work, saying it aligns with the objectives and priorities of the National Jal Jeevan Mission.
He advised the state to take steps to empower Gram Panchayats further to ensure the smooth operation and long-term maintenance of drinking water supply systems. He also stressed the need to swiftly transfer the management of water supply infrastructure to Gram Panchayats and Village Water and Sanitation Committees under the Central government’s ‘Jal Arpan’ programme.
In addition, he urged the state to prioritise the creation of ancillary facilities under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and take measures to help more villages achieve ODF Plus Model status.
During the visit, Meena called on Chief Secretary Anu Garg and held discussions on the implementation, progress, and future action plan of the Jal Jeevan Mission and Swachh Bharat Mission in the state.
After the review meeting, he visited several piped water supply projects in Puri district along with Girish S. N, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the state’s Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department, and Vineet Bhardwaj, Director of the Drinking Water and Sanitation Mission. He reviewed the ground-level status of the drinking water supply systems.
He visited the Lohapura Piped Water Supply Project under Jagannathpur Gram Panchayat and the Subalpur Project under Yasuapur Gram Panchayat, both in Pipili Block. Impressed by the quality of infrastructure at both projects, he commended the efforts of field-level officials and engineers.
The senior Union government official also interacted with local residents and gathered first-hand feedback on the benefits of the projects and their impact on the community.
