Centre approves 13 potable water supply schemes for Uttarakhand

Ravi S Singh

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 3

The Centre has approved 13 potable water supply schemes worth more than Rs 267 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Uttarakhand.

The Union Jal Shakti Ministry informed that these schemes will cover six districts in Uttarakhand and will benefit over 23,000 households.

The JJM aims to provide piped water connectivity to every rural household in the country by 2024.

The schemes were approved during a meeting of the Jal Shakti Ministry’s Committee last Thursday. The meeting was presided over by Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

During the meeting, the Uttarakhand government apprised the ministry of its plans to provide tap water connections to more than lakh rural households by 2022. The schemes sanctioned are multi-village schemes.

In the past one week, drinking water supply scheme worth about Rs 493 crore for 681 villages spread across nine districts benefiting 42,000 households have been approved for the state.

The Centre has allocated Rs 1,444 crore to Uttarakhand under JJM for the financial year for 2020-21.

As on date, out of 15.18 lakh rural household in the state, 7.43 lakh (49%) are getting tap water supply in their homes. In 2021-22, the state plans to provide tap water connections to 2.64 lakh households.

During the meeting Shekhawat asked the Uttarakhand government to ensure that it meets the target set up it for 2021-22.