NEW DELHI: Holding a virtual meeting with water resources ministers of the states on progress of implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that more than 3.77 crore rural households have been provided with tap water connections.
In total, more than seven crore rural families (36.5%) have now started getting clean water in their homes. In effect, more than one-third of rural households are getting potable water through taps.
Shekhawat further added that every family living in 52 districts, 670 blocks, 42,100 panchayats and 81,123 villages are getting assured tap water supply in their homes now.
The JJM seeks to provide every rural household with piped drinking water by 2024.
It was announced on August 15,2019 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
During the review meeting, Shekhawat explained how despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, necessary groundwork for effective and efficient implementation of the mission has been laid.
He said that the Union Budget 2021-22 has witnessed a quantum increase in the budgetary provision for Jal Jeevan Mission, from Rs 11,500 crore in 2020-21 to Rs 50,011 crore in 2021-22.
He rolled out the roadmap for more efficacious utilisation of the nearly five-fold increase in Jal Jeevan Mission’s budget by states/UTs.
“Being the third year, 2021-22 is a crucial year for Jal Jeevan Mission,” Shekhawat said, and added that this is the time to speed up implementation of the scheme.
Addressing the meeting, Union Minister of State for Jal Shakti Rattan Lal Kataria recalled the times when the women of his village in Haryana were subjected to struggles and pain, due to unavailability of potable water sources near homes.