80 per cent of District Council areas covered by piped water supply; innovative steps taken for drinking water in hill: Tripura CM

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Thursday, August 27 informed the state Legislative Assembly that around 80 per cent of areas under the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) have been covered with piped drinking water connections.

Speaking on the first day of the Monsoon Session of the Tripura Legislative Assembly, Dr. Saha said the remaining work would be completed soon as the state government is taking a series of measures to ensure drinking water reaches every village.

The issue was raised by Tipra Motha Party MLA Ranjit Debbarma, who highlighted the drinking water crisis in several ADC areas.

He urged the government to take immediate steps to address the shortage. 

Debbarma also referred to a road blockade in Mungiakami hills area under West Tripura District, during which Minister Kishor Barman was reportedly stranded, and urged the government to resolve the water-related grievances of the people at the earliest.

Replying to the issue, Chief Minister Dr. Manik Saha, who is also in charge of the Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS) department, acknowledged that water shortages persist in some areas, particularly in the hilly regions.

He said that in several hilly locations, conventional deep tubewells cannot be installed due to geographical constraints and the absence of suitable groundwater sources. As a result, the government is adopting innovative methods to provide drinking water, particularly in the ADC areas.

According to the Chief Minister, water from canals and waterfalls is being utilised in suitable locations to ensure drinking water supply to people living in remote and hilly areas.

Highlighting the progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), launched in 2019, Dr. Saha said piped water coverage in rural areas was only around 3.26 per cent when the programme began. The coverage has now increased significantly, with around 6.69 lakh households out of a total 7.50 lakh families connected to piped water, representing approximately 86 per cent coverage across the state.

He said the government aims to achieve 100 per cent piped water coverage in the coming days and has taken a series of steps to connect every village with drinking water facilities.

The Chief Minister further said the state government, in coordination with the Central Government, is working to ensure that every village and household in Tripura gets access to drinking water.

In the TTAADC region, the average coverage of households with piped water connections currently stands at around 80 per cent, he added.