As govt supply doubles, 11.5 crore families have tap water connections
- IBEF
- March 23, 2023
As the government intensifies its efforts to ensure that everyone has access to clean drinking water, over 1.53 lakh villages and up to 11.49 crore homes now have access to tap water. The latest official data as of March 21, 2023 revealed substantial increases in piped water provision to schools, anganwadi centres, and aspirational areas following the government's allocation of US$ 8.4 billion (Rs 70,000 crore) for the purpose in the current fiscal year, which ends March 31(2022-23). This outlay is 12 times higher than the US$ 667.45 million (Rs 5,500 crore) allotted in 2018-19.
The UN Global Water Development Report 2023 states that 46% of the world's population lacks access to basic sanitation, and 26% of the population lacks access to safe drinking water.
The government is implementing numerous programmes, such as the Jal Jeevan Mission, Atal Bhujal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, Namami Gange and National Aquifer Mapping and Managing programme for water conservation and for raising the level of ground water.
As of March 21, over 11.49 crore households had tap water connections and over 1.53 villages had become Har Ghar Jal under the Jal Jeevan Mission, which aims to offer potable tap water delivery to every rural household at a service level of 55 litres per capita per day by 2024.
In less than three years, piped water supply to anganwadi centres has expanded 37 times, to 9.34 lakh. Similarly, piped water provision to schools has increased 18 times to 9.02 lakh, with aspirational districts benefiting six times.
The Atal Bhujal Yojana, with a budget of US$ 728.13 million (Rs 6,000 crore), is being implemented over a five-year period in 8,220 water-stressed gramme panchayats in 80 districts throughout seven states, Haryana, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh.
A total of 409 projects have been undertaken under Namami Gange - the interventions for cleaning and rejuvenation of the Ganga - at an estimated cost of US$ 3.9 billion (Rs 32,912.40 crore), of which 232 projects, such as sewage treatment projects, have been completed and made operational.
On October 2, 2014, the government launched Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) to eradicate open defecation free (ODF) in rural regions. Around 11 crore individual household latrines (IHHLs) have been created throughout all States/UTs, as have over 2.23 lakh community sanitary complexes (CSCs) and all villages, gramme panchayats, and districts across the country.
The National River Conservation Plan (NRCP) has treated contaminated portions of 36 rivers in 80 cities throughout 19 states.
Disclaimer: This information has been collected through secondary research and IBEF is not responsible for any errors in the same.
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