Jal Jeevan Maah was launched in Leh district at Spituk Farkha Panchayat in the presence of the chief guest Commissioner/Secretary, Public Health Engineering Department, UT Ladakh, Ajeet Kumar Sahu on October 2.

Acknowledging the progress and the success of Har Ghar Jal under the Jal Jeevan Mission in Ladakh, Commissioner/Secretary, A K Sahu appreciated the united efforts of the PHE department, public representatives, and community participation. He reiterated the essentiality of community ownership and the need of making JJM a people’s movement to ensure its success in the true sense.

Sahu also stressed on observing the non-freezing techniques, regular checkups of water quality, cleaning and safety of water sources and reservoirs, grey water management and judicious and conscious use of water. He urged the public to conduct a social audit and deliberate on the user charges in Jal Samvad during the Jal Jeevan Maah.

Councillor Tundup Nurboo expressed gratitude to the UT and District Administration for the success of the Jal Jeevan Mission. Sharing the apprehensions among the public on user charges of JJM connections, he urged for clarity from the concerned officers/officials and also requested to add more parameters to the water quality testing checks.

During the occasion, the team of Implementing Support Agency (ISA) performed a skit/nukkad natak on various aspects of JJM, such as community partnership, operation, and maintenance (O&M), and water management among others.

Several videos on the impact of JJM, grievance redressal, and solar pump training were screened. A refresher training/demo on the field-testing kit (FTK) was also presented on the occasion.
Similarly, a pledge on water conservation and JJM was also administered to all.

Leh district is observing the month of October as Jal Jeevan Maah. The Jal Jeevan Maah aims to strengthen the implementation and progress of the Jal Jeevan Mission and to spread awareness among the public.

The main focus areas of Jal Jeevan Maah include Certification of Har Ghar Jal villages; conducting Jal Jeevan Samvad, Social Audit; Special incentives to best performing villages; Speeding up the progress of providing Functional Household Tap Connections, Operation and Maintenance, winter management, and visit of water quality experts for water testing and to prepare remedial action plans on water quality.