New Delhi, May 18 (IANS) Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil on Monday said the Centre has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands administration under ‘Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0’ to strengthen drinking water services in remote and island regions.

In a post on social media platform X, Paatil said: “The agreement was signed between the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Andaman and Nicobar administration under the inspiration and guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of efforts to fulfil the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ commitment.”

He said the MoU marked “an important step towards ensuring safe, regular and sustainable drinking water services in remote and island regions”.

The signing ceremony was attended by Lieutenant Governor Admiral D.K. Joshi, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti, V. Somanna and senior officials from the ministry and the Union Territory administration.

The agreement comes as the Centre expands the second phase of the Jal Jeevan Mission, which has shifted focus from infrastructure creation to long-term service delivery and sustainability.

The Union Cabinet in March approved the extension of Jal Jeevan Mission until December 2028.

According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the restructured mission emphasises reliable and safe drinking water supply, governance reforms, community participation and source sustainability measures such as water conservation and rainwater harvesting.

The Centre has also been signing reform-linked MoUs with States and Union Territories to improve accountability, operation and maintenance of rural water systems, and strengthen village-level participation in water management.

Official data from the Jal Jeevan Mission portal shows that the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had achieved full household tap water coverage under the mission.

The Union Territory has more than 62,000 rural households with tap water connections, compared with coverage of around 46 per cent when the programme began in 2019.

–IANS

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