NITI Aayog pooh-poohs Odisha claim on tap water provision

The NITI Aayog has pooh-poohed the Odisha government’s claim that Puri city residents are getting round-the-clock tap water.

NITI Aayog’s Water Composite Management Index (WCMI) released recently, mentions that the water management in the state is poor and described Odisha as the worst performer among the 17 non-Himalayan states.

The index was developed by the Aayog involving state and national stakeholders, as well as a data validation process that took into account the Central and State government data on the performance of the state on water issues.

According to the NITI Aayog, Odisha’s dismal performance is due to its failure in implementation and operation of irrigation projects, while missing the canalising targets. The report mentions that the state has failed to provide equitable water justice. It also mentioned that there has been limited improvement in the quality of rural water supply.

In rural Odisha, 68.40 per cent population does not receive tap water and not a single district of the 30 districts in the state has achieved provision of tap water to every household.

Ministry of Jal Shakti informed the Lok Sabha in the last session that Odisha ranks fourth in the country in terms of level of contaminated drinking water, with Assam, Bihar and Rajasthan holding the earlier three positions.