Massive Delays and Poor Execution Leave Thousands Without Clean Drinking Water Despite Government Claims
Key Issues in Chhattisgarh’s Jal Jeevan Mission
- Nearly 5,000 contractors fined for delays and poor workmanship
- Several water tanks incomplete or non-functional despite huge budget allocations
- Thousands of families have tap connections but no running water
- Deadline for full implementation pushed from 2023 to 2027
Rusting Water Tanks and Dry Taps: Ground Reality in Villages
In Ruda village, Durg district, an iron structure meant for a 35,000-litre water tank stands empty and rusting under the sun. Built under the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission to provide clean drinking water, the skeletal frame remains just that — a hollow symbol of unfulfilled promises.
- Rs 65.38 lakh was sanctioned for the project; nearly three years later, the water tank is still missing
- No water supply is available; villagers continue to walk miles for drinking water
- Contractors have yet to receive payments, as per Public Health Engineering officials
Residents express deep frustration:
“It’s not a construction site anymore, it’s a permanent symbol of neglect,” says Bhuvanesh Sahu.
“We tell delivery people to come to the tankless structure, they always find us,” adds Aishwarya Deshmukh.
Non-Functional Infrastructure in Narayanpur and Rajnandgaon
- In Narayanpur, a Rs 1.19 crore project completed over a year ago still fails to deliver water, with taps often used as cattle hitching posts
- Rajnandgaon has only 170 out of 610 villages certified with household water supply
- Several tank projects never commenced, with tenders cancelled due to poor contractor performance
- District authorities have begun blacklisting non-compliant contractors and forfeiting security deposits
Safety Concerns and Local Warnings
In Mahuapara village, Korea district, an unfinished water tank inside a school compound remains unbarricaded, posing safety risks for children who climb it like a playground. Nearby taps near the local MLA’s house also run dry, compounding local outrage.
Political Responses and Government Accountability
Despite government claims that 31 lakh families now have access to water, former Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel criticized the slow pace and inefficiency of the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department in the state assembly:
“Your double engine government is pulling in opposite directions,” he said.
Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao countered by blaming the previous administration for poor data quality:
“We found that 15 lakh tap connections were only ‘entries’, with no actual water supply. We are now correcting that.”
Project Scale and Challenges Ahead
- The Jal Jeevan Mission targets nearly 50 lakh families across 29,000 projects in Chhattisgarh by the end of 2023
- As of January 2024, only about 15 lakh families have tap connections with actual water supply
- The deadline has now been extended to 2027 due to widespread implementation issues
- The mission has a total sanctioned budget of Rs 26,465 crore to transform rural water supply
Accountability and Enforcement Actions
- 4,986 contractors fined for irregularities including delays and poor quality work
- FIRs filed against two contractor firms for potential criminal negligence
- Only three government officers suspended so far amid rising public pressure
Conclusion: The Road Ahead for Chhattisgarh’s Water Mission
The Jal Jeevan Mission in Chhattisgarh illustrates the critical challenges facing large-scale rural infrastructure programs: implementation delays, contractor negligence, and governance issues. While the government promises reform and accelerated progress, the millions of villagers still trekking miles for water underscore the urgent need for accountability and effective execution.
