Drinking water supply schemes of Rs. 164.03 Crore were approved under Jal Jeevan Mission by Uttarakhand in the State-level scheme sanctioning committee (SLSSC) meeting held on 23^rd December, 2021. Of the eight water supply schemes sanctioned, all are multi-village schemes. It will provide tap water connection to more than 9,200 rural homes.

These eight schemes will benefit 140 villages in Almora, Bageshwar, Dehradun, Nainital and Uttarkashi districts. Masi, Mangurkhal and Jhimar multi-village tap water supply schemes in Almora district will benefit about 20 thousand people living in 68 villages. Shama and Baidamajhera multi-village tap water supply schemes in Bageshwar district will benefit about 18 thousand people living in 38 villages. Basgaon Loshgyani multi-village tap water supply schmes will provide clean tap water to more than 3 thousand people living in 9 villages of Nainital district. Similarly, Kandari multi-village scheme in Uttarkashi and Motidhar Paniyala scheme in Dehradun will benefit more than 7 thousand people living in 25 villages of these two districts.

All these villages face serious drinking water problem during summer months. It is expected that by December, 2022 when these schemes will complete, more than 48 thousand people living in these 140 villages will get adequate clean tap water supply for next 30-40 years on regular basis.

In last two months, drinking water supply schemes worth Rs. 714 Crore for 58.5 thousand homes in 846 villages spread across 11 districts of Uttarakhand benefitting more than 3 lakh people have been approved by the SLSSC. This will immensely reduce the drudgery faced by women and children who spent many hours every day in fetching water from distant water sources.

On 15^th August 2019, at the time of launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, only 1.30 lakh (8.58%) rural homes had tap water supply. In 28 months, despite Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown disruptions, the State has provided tap water connection to 6.22 lakh (41.02%) households. Thus, as on date, out of 15.18 lakh rural household in the State, 7.53 lakh (49.60%) are getting tap water supply in their homes. In 2021-22, the State plans to provide tap water connections to 2.64 lakh household. Uttarakhand Government is aiming to provide clean tap water supply to all rural homes by December, 2022.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), there is provision for constitution of State Level Scheme Sanctioning Committee (SLSSC) for consideration and approval of schemes to be taken up for making provision of tap water supply to rural households. The SLSSC acts as a State level Committee to consider water supply schemes/ projects, and a nominee of the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), Government of India is a member of the committee.

To translate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ensuring clean tap water in every household and freeing women and girls from drudgery of fetching water from a distance, the Mission, has released Rs. 360.95 Crore grant–in–aid to Uttarakhand during 2021-22. This year, the Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat allocated Rs. 1,443.80 Crore which is four-fold increase from last year’s allocation. Union Minister, Jal Shakti, while approving the four-fold increase assured full assistance to the State for making provision of tap water supply in every rural home by December, 2022.

In the meeting NJJM team emphasized the need for effective community contribution and advised the State to include the provision of greywater management through convergence in the water supply schemes as it’s a very important component of Jal Jeevan Mission.

To ensure safe tap water to children in schools, ashramshalas and anganwadi centres in the country, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced 100-days campaign, which was launched by the Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 2^nd October 2020. Tap water provided in learning centres is used by children and teachers for drinking, cooking mid-day meal, hand washing and in toilets. All schools and anganwadi centres in Uttarakhand have been provided tap water supply in their premises.

Working in line with ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’, Jal Jeevan Mission’s motto is ‘no one is left out’ and it aims at universal access to the potable tap water supply. At the start of the mission in 2019, out of a total of 19.20 Crore rural households in the country, only 3.23 Crore (17%) had tap water supply. During the last 28 months, despite Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns disruptions, Jal Jeevan Mission has been implemented with speed and today, 5.45 Crore rural households have been provided with tap water connections. Presently, 8.69 Crore (45.20%) rural household across the country have tap water supply. States of Goa, Telangana, Haryana and UTs of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry, D&NH and D&D have ensured 100% household tap connection in rural areas. At present, every household in 83 districts and more than 1.28 lakh villages are receiving tap water supply.

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BY/AS