All districts in Himachal to be covered under Jal Jeevan Mission by 2022: Chief Minister

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 3

Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said here today that all districts of the state would be covered under the Jal Jeevan Mission by August, 2022. He stated this during video-conferencing with Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

“Himachal Pradesh has set a target of providing 100 per cent families with functional household tap connections (FHTC) by August, 2022 under the Jal Jeevan Mission,” he said.

He added that out of the total 18,160 villages, 911 in 13 panchayats had been covered under the FHTC scheme.

“Three districts will be covered under the programme by July, 2021, five districts by March, 2022, and remaining districts by August, 2022,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the state government had received an incentive of Rs 57 crore from the Union Government for the effective implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission for 2019-20.

He urged the Union Minister to provide a Central assistance of Rs 990 crore.

Thakur said that being a hilly state, a majority of the schemes in Himachal were lift irrigation schemes, which entailed a high labour and material cost. He urged the Union Minister to revise the existing development cost norms of surface minor irrigation schemes from Rs 2.50 lakh per hectare to Rs 4 lakh per hectare without CAD works keeping in view the topographic conditions of the state.

He said that of the total 5.85 lakh hectares in the state, 3.35 lakh hectares had been identified for irrigation. He added that of 3.35 lakh hectares, 2.81 lakh hectares were provided irrigation facilities.

The government was endeavouring to bring the maximum area under irrigation so as to increase production and improve the economy of the farmers.

Household tap connections

• The target is to provide all families with functional household tap connections by August 2022
• Of the total 18,160 villages, 911 in 13 panchayats have been covered under the scheme, the CM said
• Three districts are to be covered by July 2021, five by March 2022 and the remaining by August 2022

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