To translate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of providing clean tap water to every household, Union Government has increased the Central allocation for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission to Uttar Pradesh to Rs. 10,870.50 Crore.In 2019-20, Central Government allocated Rs. 1,206 Crore, which was increased to Rs. 2,571 Crore in 2020-21. Thus, this year Central allocation for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Uttar Pradesh has increased four-fold.

       Union Minister, Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat during his last meeting with the Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh had assured to provide all assistance to the State to make provision of tap water supply to every rural home under Jal Jeevan Mission. During the review, Chief Minister, Uttar Pradesh assured that Uttar Pradesh government will ensure tap water connection to every rural home by 2024 as announced by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. 

       In Uttar Pradesh there are 2.63 Crore households in 97 thousand villages, out of which now 30.04 lakh (11.3%) households have tap water supply in their homes. Before the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission only 5.16 lakh (1.96%) household had tap water supply. In last 21 months, under Jal Jeevan Mission, the State has provided tap water supply to 24.89 lakh (9.45%) households. Despite this, there are about 2.33 Crore household without tap water supply in Uttar Pradesh.

       In 2020-21, the allocation for UP was enhanced to Rs.2,571Crore. With the opening balance of Rs. 777 Crore, UP had assured availability of Rs.3,348 Crore of Central fund. The State Government could utilize only Rs. 2,053from this fund.

       In a letter to Chief Minister UP, Union Minister, Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has urged the State to take necessary measure to accelerate the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission and to provide tap water supply to one third of the remaining households, i.e. to 78 Lakhs rural households in UP this year. He also advised the State to start ground work on water supply projects/ schemes in more than 60 thousand villages this year.

       In his letter, Union Minister, Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has also urged the State to accelerate piped water projects in Bundelkhand and Vindhyachal and for review of their implementation at the level of Chief Minister. Hon’ble Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of piped water supply scheme for the rural areas of Bundelkhand Region (7 districts viz. Jhansi, Mahoba, Lalitpur, Jalaun, Hamirpur, Banda and Chitrakoot) in February, 2019 and in November, 2020, for rural drinking water supply projects for Mirzapur and Sonbhadra districts of Vindhyachal region. On completion, these projects will benefit 17.48 lakh households and 1.05 Crore people residing in 6,742 villages of the region.

       With the Central allocation of Rs. 10,870 Crore in 2021-22 and opening balance of Rs. 466 Crore available with the State Government,and State’s matching share of 2021-22and the shortfall of Rs. 1,263 Crore in 2019-20 &2020-21; the total assured fund available for the implementation of JJM in the State is about Rs. 23,937 Crore.

       Rs. 4,324 Crore in 2021-22 have been provided to Uttar Pradesh as 15^th FC tied grant for water & sanitation to Rural Local Bodies/ PRIs. There is an assured funding of Rs. 22,808 Crore for water and sanitation for the next five years i.e. up to 2025-26. This huge investment in rural areas of Uttar Pradesh, will accelerate economic activities and also boost rural economy. It will create new employment opportunities in villages. 

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, water quality-affected habitations, SC/ ST majority villages, SAGY villages, aspirational & JE/ AES affected districts in the State are priority areas. Therefore, all household in these villages/ regions are to be provided with tap water supply by the end of 2021-22. In the State, 53 habitations are fluoride affected and 124 habitations are arsenic affected. Majority of them are being provided safe water through water treatment plants (CWPP) at 8-10 litre per capita per day. The State has been urged to ensure safe tap water supply to more than 2.5 lakh people living in these habitations at 55 litre per capita per day during this year.

       In the Indo-Gangetic belt where adequate ground water is available, single village water supply schemes with borewells, overhead tank and piped water connections to every household, can be planned and completed in this year itself.

       To ensure safe drinking water for children in schools and anganwadi centres, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced a 100-Days campaign, which was launched on 2nd October, 2020 by the Union Minister, Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Minister of State Shri Rattan Lal Kataria. The State has implemented it in speed and has provided tap water supply to 98,699 (80%) rural schools and 45,807 (23%) anangwadi centres. Central government has urged the State to ensure safe tap water supply in all schools and anganwadi centres for better health and quality of life of children.

       Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has laid emphasis on ‘SabkaSath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas’. Jal Jeevan Mission is one of the finest examples of this principle and endeavor is to ensure that every household in the village has tap water supply. It is a ‘bottom up’ approach where community plays a critical role from the beginning. They map the water sources available and based on the requirement in the village, prepare a plan with the technical support from the public health engineers. It is important to present this plan before the Gram Sabha. Therefore, every village should have a Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) playing an active role in planning, implementation, management, operation and maintenance of the water supply systems in villages. Therefore, support activities like strengthening and empowering VWSCs/ Pani Samitis, finalization of 5–years Village Action Plans (VAPs) co-terminus with 15th Finance Commission period, engaging voluntary organizations as Implementation Support Agencies (ISAs) for community mobilization, training of local community, IEC activities, etc. are critical and absolutely necessary.

It is important to accelerate these activities, as since independence out of 97,455 villages in Uttar Pradesh, only 18,142 have tap water supply. Work is in progress in 6,491 villages and there are 8,661 piped water supply villages where work to provide tap water supply to every household is yet to begin. Union Minister, Jal Shakti Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has urged the Chief Minister to provide tap water supply to all such piped water supply villages. In Uttar Pradesh, there are work 87,974 villages where work under Jal Jeevan Mission is to commence.

Water quality monitoring & surveillance activities are to be given top priority by imparting training to 5 women in each village, forregular and independent testing of drinking water sources and delivery points using Field Test Kits (FTKs). Water testing laboratories may be upgraded and open for general public. Out of 89 laboratories in the State, only one lab is NABL accredited. 75 district level labs are to be NABL accredited this year.

       With focus on ‘service delivery’, 10 villages in Baghpat district are being taken up to start for ‘online measurement & monitoring system’ as part of Grand Technology Challenge being run by Jal Jeevan Mission in partnership with MeiTY, GoI and State Government. The ‘online system’ will generate alerts whenever water supply in village is disrupted so that timely corrective action can be taken.  The installation in villages will be completed in this month.

       National Jal Jeevan Mission has facilitated UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) to become a Sector Partner in providing handholding support and technical assistance in the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the State. UNOPS is helping in community mobilisation, capacity building, institutional strengthening and help the State in creating model villages by providing support in the preparation of Village Action Plans (VAPs) in a participatory manner. UNOPS has deployed its manpower in 137 villages in 11 districts of Uttar Pradesh (7 districts of Bundelkhand region, 2 districts of Vindhyachal region and Prayagraj&Kaushambi districts) and will provide necessary support to the implementing agencies in these water-stressed areas of Uttar Pradesh. Other sector partners are also coming forward to work in close association with the State government.

       Jal Jeevan Mission announced by the Prime Minister on 15^thAugust, 2019 from Red Fort is under implementation in partnership with States/ UTs to provide tap water connection to every rural household of the country by 2024. Total budget for Jal Jeevan Mission in 2021-22 is Rs. 50,011 Crore. With State’s own resources and Rs 26,940 Crore as 15^thFinance Commission tied grant for water and sanitation to RLBs/ PRIs, this year, more than Rs 1 lakh crore are being invested in rural drinking water supply sector. This is creating new employment opportunities in villages and boosting the rural economy.

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BY/AS

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