Water & Sanitation: The government’s Jal Jeevan Mission which plans to provide a household tap connection to every rural home by 2024, has received a central grant of INR 50,011 crore for FY 2021-22. There is also an additional INR 26,940 crore assured fund available under the 15th Finance Commission. These are ‘tied-grants’ to rural local bodies and Panchayati Raj institutions that match the state’s share of funding to water and sanitation. As a result, more than INR 1 lakh crore is available for this key mission.
Prior to disbursing funds, a committee chaired by Secretary, Department of Drinking Water Supply (DDWS) and comprising members from different central ministries, and NITI Aayog, scrutinises the proposed annual action plans submitted by the various states and union territories. Once this is done, funds are released throughout the year and regular field visits and review meetings are held with the states to ensure implementation of plans.
During implementation, states have been asked to prioritise water quality-affected areas, villages in drought prone and desert areas, Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe majority villages, the 117 Aspirational Districts, and the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana villages.
Read this article on why we need to rethink equitable access to water and sanitation to build resilient communities.
