Jal Jeevan Mission: UP to provide 59 lakh tap water connections in 2021-22

Officials from the state presented the JJM Annual Action Plan (AAP) with details of the saturation plan for the financial year 2021-22, the ministry said. 

The extensive exercise of reviewing and approving the AAP of states/ UTs under JJM is taken up by a national committee chaired by the secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation and members from other ministries/departments and NITI Aayog, the ministry said. 

Thereafter, funds are released throughout the year based on physical progress and expenditure incurred from time-to-time. The detailed planning exercise is undertaken to help the state achieve the target of 'Har Ghar Jal' in a time-bound manner, it said. 

In Uttar Pradesh, out of total 2.63 crore rural households, 31.76 lakh (12 per cent) have been provided tap water connections so far. Last year, 19.15 lakh tap connections were provided in the state. 

“The state plans to provide 59 lakh tap water connections in 2021-22, 85.40 lakh in 2022-23 and 90.01 lakh in 2023-24. Upon review, the committee suggested that the state may plan to provide 78 lakh tap water connections in 2021-22 itself, to which the state agreed to,” the ministry said. 

The state aims to make five districts 'Har Ghar Jal' in the current financial year and work is planned to begin in 60,000 villages by the end of this year, the ministry said. 

Since the launch of the JJM in August 2019, about 26.63 lakh tap water connections have been provided in villages of Uttar Pradesh. 

So far, about 3,500 villages in Uttar Pradesh have been declared 'Har Ghar Jal', which means every rural household in these villages has started getting assured tap water supply, it added. 

JJM, the ambitious scheme of the Narendra Modi government to provide tap water connections to all rural households by 2024, has been allocated a whooping Rs 50,000 crore in Budget 2021-22. 

For Uttar Pradesh, with the central allocation of Rs 10,870 crore in 2021-22 and opening balance of Rs 466 crore available with the state government, its matching share of 2021-22 and shortfall of Rs 1,263 crore in 2019-20 and 2020-21; the total assured fund available for the implementation of JJM is about Rs 23,937 crore, the ministry said. 

Also, Rs 4,324 crore has been allocated to the state as 15th Finance Commission tied grant for water and sanitation to rural local bodies/PRIs, which the state will utilise on activities like drinking water source strengthening and grey water management. 

“There is an assured funding of Rs 22,808 crore for water and sanitation for the next five years up to 2025-26 through 15th FC tied grants,” the statement added. 

The AAP emphasises on various components of the JJM like drinking water source strengthening/augmentation, water supply works to provide household tap connections, grey water treatment and reuse, operation and maintenance, various support activities including IEC plan, training and capacity building of stakeholders, community mobilisation, water quality surveillance and monitoring, strengthening of water quality testing laboratories and its NABL accreditation/ recognition.