Centre approves 735 drinking water projects worth Rs 1,882 crore for poll-bound Uttar Pradesh

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 13

The Centre has approved 735 drinking water schemes worth Rs 1,882 crore for making provision of tap water connections in rural areas under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) for the poll-bound Uttar Pradesh.

The state goes to polls in February-March 2022, and the BJP has already launched its campaign to return to power in the crucial state.

The JJM is a flagship programme of the Centre.

The drinking water schemes sanctioned will cover a population of 39 lakh in 1,262 villages of 33 districts.

“As per the approval, tap water connections are to provide for more than four lakh rural households of the state,” a Union Jal Shakti Ministry official said.

As on date, 34 lakh (12.9 per cent) rural households out of 2.64 crore are getting tap water supply in their homes.

In 2021-22, the state plans to provide tap water connections to 78 lakh households.

The Jal Shakti Ministry has already released Rs 2,400 crore grant-in-aid to Uttar Pradesh during 2021-22.

In 2019-20, the Union  government had allocated Rs 1,206 crore to the state for implementation of JJM, which was increased to Rs 2,571 crore in 2020-21.

During the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, only 5.16 lakh (2 per cent) households had tap water supply.

In the last 26 months, despite disruptions faced during the Covid pandemic and lockdowns, the state has provided tap water connection to 28.85 lakh (10.92 per cent) households.

The state aims to make five districts ‘Har Ghar Jal’ in the current financial year.

To accelerate the pace of JJM implementation, National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) has urged the state to take necessary measures to provide tap water supply to 78 lakh rural households in the state this year.

The state has informed the Jal Shakti Ministry of its plans to start water supply works in more than 60,000 villages by December 2021.