Chandigarh December 16: In a significant achievement, two districts of Haryana namely Panchkula and Ambala have bagged the title of ‘Har Ghar Nal Se Jal districts’ with 100 per cent Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) in rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The Mission aims to ensure access to sustainable drinking water through piped water connection to every rural household by 2024.

While stating this here today, Additional Chief Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, Mr Devender Singh said that under the able leadership and guidance of Chief Minister, Mr Manohar Lal, Haryana is fully aligned with Government of India in this flagship programme and committed to provide FHTC to every rural household in the State by December 2022, way ahead of the national target of 2024.

Mr Devender Singh said that Panchkula and Ambala have become districts having 100 per cent FHTC in rural households. While Panchkula with 34,433 FTHCs in four Blocks namely Pinjore, Raipur Rani, Morni and Barwala becomes the first district of the State having 100 per cent FHTCs in rural households. Thus Ambala with 1,19,431 FHTCs in six blocks namely Ambala I, Ambala II, Barara, Shahzadpur, Naraingarh and Saha secures the second position by having 100 per cent FHTCs in rural households.

He said that since the inception of this programme the Public Health Engineering Department has actively strategized the entire programme and as a result, today, Haryana has provided FHTCs to more than 80 per cent rural households of the State.

The Additional Chief Secretary said that as per annual action plan, it was targeted to achieve one district with 100 per cent FHTC by January 26, 2021. However, with the active contribution of staff under the guidance of Engineer-in-Chief, Public Health Engineering Department, this milestone has been achieved earlier well before the target date. During this pandemic time, by taking all the safety measures, the team at ground level headed by Superintending Engineer and team members including all the Executive Engineers, Xen, JEs and other field staff members are the real victor of this success story, he added.

He said that further, the Department is in the process of contacting each and every Gram Panchayat and obtaining Certificate from concerned Village Water and Sewerage Committee (VWSC) for reconfirmation of 100 per cent coverage in the village ensuring on-ground coverage of the programme.