Centre asks UT to quicken process of providing tap water to households under JJM

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 23

The Union Jal Shakti Ministry has asked the J&K UT administration to make good on its commitment for complete "saturation" of seven districts by 2020-21, wherein it will provide piped water connections to every household under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

These districts are Doda, Udhampur, Kathua, Jammu, Kulgam, Bandipora and Budgam. The JJM, launched in 2019, is centrally sponsored and is implemented by the Jal Shakti Ministry. It seeks to provide tap water to every household by 2024. Centre and the states/UTs contribute equally to the JJM.

A few days ago during its presentation to the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation on status of JJM in Jammu and Kashmir, its officials had committed to providing tap water to every household by 2022 — much ahead of the national deadline. According to Ministry sources, the UT also has a sub-plan to complete saturation of the seven districts by 2020-21.

Sources said that the earlier plan was to achieve saturation of these districts by July-August but the works got delayed due to Covid-19. 

Out of 18.37 lakh households in Jammu and Kashmir, 7.82 lakh have already tap connections. The UT plans to provide remaining 10.35 lakh tap connections by March 2022.

Jammu and Kashmir has informed the Ministry that the UT has potential to provide 9.67 lakh tap connections by retro-fitting and augmentation of existing piped water supply schemes in 6,500 villages.

As much as Rs 921 crore assured fund is available with the UT during 2020-21 for this mission following the Ministry's approval of the Annual Action Plan.