2.12 million rural homes in Rajasthan have tap water supply
Premium- The ministry of jal shakti said that in the last two years, 9.48 lakh households in Rajasthan have been provided with tap water connections
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NEW DELHI : Close to a million rural households in Rajasthan have been provided with tap water connection as the arid state plans for 100% tap water connection to all rural households by 2024.
“Despite lockdown and disruptions due to covid-19 pandemic, in the last two years, 9.48 lakh households (9.36%) have been provided tap water connections. Today, 21.22 lakh rural homes (20.95%) in the state have tap water supply," ministry of jal shakti said in a statement on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently said that that the marquee Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) is also a big movement of “decentralization".
“Out of 1.01 crore rural households in the state, only 11.74 lakh (11.59%) rural households had tap water supply as on 15th August 2019, when Jal Jeevan Mission was announced by the Hon’ble Prime Minister," the statement said.
While the ₹3.6 trillion JJM scheme aims to ensure assured tap water supply or ‘Har Ghar Jal’ to all rural households by 2024, several states have presented their commitment to provide tap water connections to all rural households before 2024.
“Rajasthan faces extreme water scarcity in many parts of the state as it is a desert-prone area which receives scanty rainfall. The need for providing safe drinking water therefore becomes very important and urgent in the state," the statement said.
Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has been tasked with providing tap water connections to all rural households under the JJM by 2024, drawing comparisons with the Ujjwala.
“In 2020-21, ₹2,522.03 crore Central grant was allocated to Rajasthan but it could draw only ₹630.51 crore due to slow pace of implementation. To assist the state to provide tap water supply to every household by 2024, Union minister, jal shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has increased the central allocation four-fold. ₹10,180.50 crore central fund allocation for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the state during 2021-22," the statement said.
In July 2019, the government had formed a new ministry, jal shakti, to address all water issues in the country. The jal shakti ministry was formed by integrating it with other existing ministries, such as water resources and the ministry of drinking water and sanitation.
“In addition to this, in 2021-22, ₹1,712 crore has been allocated to Rajasthan as 15th Finance Commission tied grant for water and sanitation to rural local bodies/ PRIs. There is an assured funding of ₹9,032 crore for the next five years, that is, up to 2025-26," the statement said.
Over 50 million rural households have been provided with tap water connection since the JJM launch in August 2019.
“At the time of announcement of JJM on 15th August 2019, out of a total 18.93 crore rural households, 3.23 crore rural households (17%) of the country had tap water supply. Since then, over 5.11 crore (26.60%) families living in rural areas have been provided with tap water connections. Now, more than 8.35 crore (43.44%) rural households have assured potable tap water supply in their homes, improving their quality of life and enhancing 'ease of living’," the statement said.
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