Noida: More than 4.80 lakh women in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh have been trained for testing water quality while around 7.50 lakh youth have been trained for plumbing, electrical works, and other skills under an initiative of the Jal Shakti Ministry in the state, according to officials.
The women involved in water testing have been provided with field test kits (FTKs), with five kits given to each revenue village in the state. These rural women now conduct water quality checks from village to village, contributing to improved health conditions and reduced water-borne diseases, as stated by a senior official from the ministry.
Apart from training over 4.80 lakh women, technical training has been provided to around 7.50 lakh youths in each village across the state. This training has helped them access employment opportunities within their villages. The training has covered various skills, including plumbing, electrical works, motor mechanics, fitting, and masonry. Those who complete the training are connected with employment as local pump operators in villages.
Based on official data accessed by PTI, the districts with the highest number of training conducted are Jaunpur (23,010), Azamgarh (22,836), Sitapur (20,790), Prayagraj (20,007), Hardoi (16,944), Gorakhpur (16,882), Ghazipur (16,081), Bareilly (15,509), and Deoria (15,405).
Furthermore, training has been provided to over 37,500 people across the seven districts of Banda, Chitrakoot, Hamirpur, Jhansi, Jalaun, Lalitpur, and Mahoba, which constitute the parched Bundelkhand region bordering northern Madhya Pradesh. The districts with the highest number of training in Bundelkhand are Jalaun (7,488), Jhansi (6,435), Banda (6,078), Lalitpur (5,371), Chitrakoot (4,307), Hamirpur (4,290), and Mahoba (3,549).
