Punjab, Himachal on track to achieving 100 per cent target under ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme

Ravi S Singh

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New Delhi, May 16

The Union Jal Shakti Ministry is eager for the Punjab and Himachal Pradesh soon becoming a hundred per cent target under the Jal Jeevan Mission’s (JJM) ‘Har Ghar Jal’ scheme.

Both the northern states are on the cusp of the achievement.

A source in the Jal Shakti said while Punjab had achieved the 99 per cent target by the first week of April this year, Himachal Pradesh had crossed the 93 per cent target.

Goa, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli had already become a part of the scheme.

The remaining states and UTs were at different stages of implementation.

“Punjab is at the threshold of achieving the saturation level under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’. It is good news on account of it being among the states witnessing a sharp decline in underground water level and shrinkage of the surface water,” a Jal Shakti Ministry official said.

The underground water of several areas in Punjab is polluted. Hence, piped water connections to the houses are important.

‘Har Ghar Jal’ is a Centre’s scheme launched in 2019 to provide tap water to every rural household by 2024.

Recently, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had presided over a regional conference with 11 implementing states/UTs on the JJM and the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin, SBM (G).

The states/ UTs were Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, Uttarakhand, Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Daman and Diu and Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

In the Union Budget 2022, fund allocation for the JJM had been increased from Rs 45,000 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 60,000 crore.

For SBM (G), Rs 7,192 crore had been allocated in the budget for the year 2022-23.