HP tops nation in quality drinking water delivery
The Central government had made a financial provision of Rs 1,344.94 crore to the state this year and released its second instalment of Rs 336.23 crore on September 30.
The Centre has asked states to prepare a five year Village Action Plan under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) for every village so as to strengthen and augment drinking water sources in the area.
To achieve drinking water security, the Village Action Plan under JJM could be taken up in convergence with other schemes at the village level including MGNREGS, said Minister of State for Jal Shakti Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in the Lok Sabha. The 15thFinance Commission has tied grants to Rural Local Bodies (RLBs), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), State schemes, District Mineral Development Fund, CSR funds, and community contribution and this could also be used for ensuring water security.
Though water is a state subject, the Union Government supplements the efforts of the states by providing technical and financial assistance. Since 2019, the Centre in partnership with the states has been implementing JJM to make provision of potable tap water supply to every rural household of the country, the Minister said.
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The Power to plan, design, approve, implement, operate and maintain water supply as well as water resources management schemes is vested with States. Local bodies maintain the data of individual water supply projects, which includes source identification, selection for water supply schemes and revival of individual ancient water sources.
Under JJM, provisions have also been made for drinking water source development, infrastructure for bulk transfer of water, treatment and distribution systems in water deficit drought-prone areas without dependable groundwater sources, apart from the creation of in-village water supply infrastructure, the Minister said.
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