New Delhi, It has been decided that in the 5 North-Western States and UTs i.e.,Punjab,Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission will be expedited and every rural household will be provided with tap water connections by 2022, instead of by 2024.
To enable these States and UTs to achieve this goal by 2022, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has approved Central allocation of Rs. 8,216.25 Crore in 2021-22. This is more than 4 times of the allocation to these States and UTs in 2020-21.The Minister has also assured full assistance to these States and UTs for making provision of tap water supply in every rural home.
Assured supply of potable tap water in every home will improve the lives of more than 5 Crore people living in villages in this region, especially women and girls. With this massive increase in allocation, and speed of implementation, these 5 States/UTs are set to achieve ‘Har Ghar Jal’ status by 2022, two years before the national target of 2024.
On 15th August, 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Jal Jeevan Mission(JJM) to provide safe piped drinking water to every rural household in the country by 2024. To transform the Prime Minister’s vision that every households to have assured tap water supply by 2024,in the last 21 months,despite Covid-19 pandemic, repeated disruptions and lockdowns, 4.25 Crore rural households have been provided tap water connections.
At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, only 3.23 Crore (17%) rural households in the country had tap water supply.In this period, Goa, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Puducherry has become ‘Har Ghar Jal’ i.e. every rural household in these States/ UTs is having tap water supply. Every household in 62 districts, 746 blocks, and more than 91 thousand villages across the country,is now getting potable tap water supply.
To realise the vision of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, National Jal Jeevan Mission, Ministry of Jal Shakti is working with States and UTs to accelerate the implementation of water supply projects to make provision of tap water connections to every home.
During last one year, despite pandemic,Union Jal Shakti Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat accompanied by Minister of State Shri Rattan Lal Kataria, had meetings with Chief Ministers and Lt. Governors of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu &Kashmir and Ladakh.
