Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on the last day of Monsoon session of Tripura Legislative Assembly on Monday informed the State Assembly that piped drinking water connections have been provided to 6,49,500 rural households, covering 68.5 per cent of the total eligible families under the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Replying to a calling attention motion moved by MLAs Shailendra Chandra Nath and Ram Pada Jamatia on ensuring safe drinking water in hilly areas, the Chief Minister said the state government has been implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission in mission mode to provide functional household tap connections (FHTCs) across rural Tripura.
Dr Saha said that before the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission on August 15, 2019, only 3.62 per cent of rural households in Tripura had access to piped drinking water. At present, out of 7,50,948 rural households, 6,49,500 have been provided with tap water connections, while in the TTAADC areas alone, 2,70,741 out of 3,27,193 households have been covered.
To strengthen the state's drinking water infrastructure, the government has commissioned 3,662 deep tube wells, 720 large-diameter deep tube wells, three surface water treatment plants, 4,198 iron removal plants and 233 innovative water supply projects. The remaining works are targeted for completion by 2028, he said.
The Chief Minister acknowledged that extending piped water supply to remote hilly areas remains challenging because of difficult terrain and the lack of suitable groundwater sources. In such locations, the government is implementing innovative water supply projects by tapping streams, springs and other natural water sources. Although these projects require additional time, work is progressing steadily, he added.
Dr Saha informed the House that 229 Gram Panchayats and Village Committees have already achieved 100 per cent household tap water coverage, while hundreds of other local bodies have crossed the 90, 80 and 70 per cent coverage marks.
He further said the state has established 12 drinking water testing laboratories, accredited quality monitoring systems and trained village-level volunteers, including women, to regularly test water quality and ensure safe drinking water at the grassroots level.
The Chief Minister also said that although the original Jal Jeevan Mission was scheduled to conclude in 2024, the Centre has extended the programme under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 till 2028 to achieve universal rural tap water coverage and ensure the long-term sustainability of drinking water infrastructure.
He added that the Centre has allocated Rs 508.01 crore for Tripura under the scheme during the 2026-27 financial year, while the state government has earmarked Rs 56.64 crore as its matching share for the implementation of various drinking water projects.