State fails to utilise funds under rural drinking water scheme

Launched in 2009

*The National Rural Drinking Water Programme was launched on April 1, 2009

*Centrally sponsored, the scheme aims at providing adequate and safe drinking water to the rural population of the country

*The scheme underwent further modifications in November 2017

* Out of the total financial grant of Rs 240.23 crore under the programme, only Rs 132.17 crore was spent by the state till February

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 20

After the failure of the piped water supply system to cater to the rural households in the state, the utilisation of central funds received by the state under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) has also proved unsatisfactory.

The sorry state of affairs can be gauged from the fact that out of the total financial grant of Rs 240.23 crore under the programme, only Rs 132.17 crore was spent by the state till February. Further, the targets vis-à-vis achievements under the NRDWP are also a cause of concern. Of the total 513 targets, the state has achieved only 77.

Sources claimed that the continuous depletion of groundwater and its contamination, water shortage due of successive droughts, pollution of water bodies because of industries, agriculture and municipal waste, and the delay in obtaining statutory clearances were some of the major factors for the non-achievement of targets by the state.

Sources said during 2017-18, J&K had unspent funds under the Swachh Bharat Mission and the NRDWP to the tune of Rs 132.81 crore and Rs 165.93 crore, respectively.

Apart from J&K, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal had a large amount of unspent balance under the two centrally sponsored schemes, they said.

The Centre had exhorted the state government for the timely submission of its proposals to avail funds under the NRDWP, so that the same could be released well in time and before the end of the year.

It had also suggested to carry out the annual action plan meetings every year between February and March with the state department dealing with rural drinking water supply, wherein the progress achieved under different components of the programme would be reviewed.