Bhubaneswar: The implementation of the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) has not been effective in Odisha with the programme reaching only 3.70 per cent households in the state against its target of covering 35 per cent households by March 2017, a CAG report has said.
The implementation of the National Rural Drinking
Water Programme has not been effective in Odisha with
the programme reaching
only 3.70 per cent
households in the state
against its target of
covering 35 per cent households by March 2017
The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG) report on general and social sector was tabled in the Odisha Assembly by Finance Minister SB Behera Thursday.
“Digging of tube wells without conducting any scientific survey went dry and deprived the habitations of drinking water. As a result, the expenditure incurred on them became wasteful,” the report said.
Therefore, the vision of providing safe drinking water to the people living in rural areas at all times could not be achieved in the state, it said.
The aim of the NRDWP is to provide every rural person with adequate safe water for drinking, cooking and other basic domestic needs on a sustainable basis, with a minimum water quality standard, which should be conveniently accessible at all times and in all situations.
The Centre had launched the NRDWP April 1, 2009 and the Odisha State Water and Sanitation Mission (OSWSM), under the Rural Development Department, implements the programme in the state.
Fund management was not efficient and instances of delay in release of funds by the state government and low utilisation due to slow pace of execution of works were also noticed.
The CAG report further said that the target fixed under strategic plan, to be achieved by 2017, was largely not achieved and water quality monitoring and surveillance was inadequate.