The Central government has released over Rs 40,000 crore as grants to states and Union Territories (UTs) in the financial year 2021-22 under the Jal Jeevan Mission that seeks to ensure tap water connections to households across the country, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti said on Thursday.
The grant money has been released to the states and UTs based on the output in terms of providing household tap water connections and utilisation of available Central grants with matching State share.
The budget under Jal Jeevan Mission for 2022-23 has been enhanced to Rs 60,000 crore by the Central government, thereby making it evident, the importance of 'Har Ghar Jal' programme. Water is central for all developmental works and providing potable water will go a long way in ensuring 'ease of living' to the rural population living in far-flung areas across the country, the ministry said in a statement.
Since the announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission on 15th August 2019, so far, more than 6 crore households have been provided with tap water connections, thus increasing the tap water supply from 3.23 crore (17 per cent) to more than 9.35 crore (48.4 per cent) rural households in the country.
This 'speed and scale' of the works being undertaken for making provision of clean drinking water to every rural household needs to be sustained to ensure all 6 lakh villages becomes "Har Ghar Jal' by 2024.
The mission focuses on an assured supply of potable water to every home and the work is not just limited to merely infrastructure creation. Massive training and skilling programme are being taken up to build the capacity of public health engineers, State and District officials and local community, ensuring active participation, regular monitoring and long-term sustainability of the infrastructure created.
The mission envisages that Public Health Engineering Department and Gram Panchayats/ Village Water & Sanitation committee play the role of a public utility.
Despite COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns and disruption in the last two years, the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission has made significant progress and during the current financial year, more than 2.06 crore rural households have been provided tap water connections.
Presently, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, Haryana, Puducherry and Telangana have become 'Har Ghar Jal' States/ UT and every household in 106 districts and 1.45 lakh villages of the country, have tap water supply, Ministry of Jal Shakti said.
( With inputs from ANI )
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