State signs MoU with Centre to speed up potable water lines

Kolkata: Bengal govt has signed an MoU with the Union Jal Shakti ministry to speed up piped drinking water connections across the state, aiming to provide potable water to every household. The agreement was finalised during a virtual meeting attended by Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari and Union water resources minister CR Patil.After the meeting, Adhikari told the media, "The people in Bengal have been waiting for Jal Jeevan Mission for a long time. Centre has given Rs 29,000 crore to Bengal in the last 5 years, but nothing has been done on the ground. Even the name of this project was changed to ‘Jal Swapna' by the previous govt in Bengal, which I had objected to in assembly. Now, an agreement of Rs 39,000 crore has been signed for the second phase. Our goal is to provide purified drinking water through pipes to every household."He also sought central assistance for irrigation projects, saying the state's financial condition made implementation difficult without such support.Patil congratulated Adhikari and said, "Centre has launched ‘Jal Jeevan Mission 2' in 2026 with a budget of Rs 1.69 lakh crore, which will continue till Dec 2028. Today's move is a big step in providing transparency and timely supply of potable water to people."Bengal's rural piped water coverage had risen from about 1% in 2019 to 56%, but coverage in schools and Anganwadi centres remained below the national average. "The situation of water certification is also not very good. Centre's share of the total budget is Rs 33,363 crore. Of this, state govt has spent only Rs 13,000 crore while Rs 11,670 crore remains unutilised."Patil said he would hold regular virtual meetings with district magistrates, urged sewage treatment plants along the Ganges, and stressed rainwater harvesting in dark zones. He added, "It will make the gram panchayat more responsible for the maintenance of the water supply system."