With Ladakh, earlier being part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the focus on it was comparatively less, including with regard implementation of government schemes. File Photo
Ravi S Singh
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, June 25
Amidst the face-off between India and the People Liberation Army (PLA) of China in regard to Ladakh region as the nerve-centre, the Centre has ramped up efforts for speedy implementation of the project to connect every rural household of the Union Territory with piped water under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) by 2022, much before the national deadline of 2024.
The JJM is a centrally-sponsored national project aimed at providing piped water connection to country’s every rural household by 2024. Launched in 2019, it was implemented by the Union Jal Shakti Ministry.
Union Jal Shakti Ministry officials said as of May-end this year, Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) had been provided to 2,000 of the total 44,000 households in Ladakh.
“The Ladakh Administration is committed to cover remaining households by March 2022,” said a Ministry source.
The officials of Ladakh recently assured the Ministry to complete the project by March 2022. This was during a presentation on the status of the JJM implementation to seek the approval of the UT’s Annual Action Plan for the financial year 2020-2021.
The assured fund of Rs 428 Crore is available with the UT during 2020-21 for the JJM.
The poor implementation of the project in Ladakh presents tough and high-altitude geographical terrain and hostile weather condition. The traditional technology harnessed for laying the pipes and supply of water is inadequate.
There were incidents of the network of water pipes bursting owing to varying pressures in them due to undulating terrain.
Also, with Ladakh, earlier being part of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, the focus on it was comparatively less, including with regard implementation of government schemes.
A peculiar feature of the area is that the villages and habitations have their own unique problems, unlike in the plains.
Hence, concentration will be greater on village specific plans for the project.
The Ministry officials feel that now the JJM project will get some momentum.
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