SRINAGAR, DEC 15: In a major stride towards enhancing water supply infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir, the Central Government has given nod to 102 new Water Supply Schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), with a total allocation of Rs 476.71 crore. This initiative aims to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to an additional 54,752 rural households in the Union Territory (UT), addressing areas initially excluded from the mission.
The identification of these households and areas was a result of public engagement initiatives, including ‘Back to Village,’ Block Divas, JJM Fortnight, Gram Sabhas, and awareness camps conducted by the Department. The public actively participated, raising demands for the inclusion of these overlooked regions in the Jal Jeevan Mission.
With the Centre’s approval of these 102 new schemes, the commitment is to ensure that every household has access to tap connections within their premises. The UT administration expresses gratitude to the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, for the timely approval of these crucial schemes catering to an additional 54,752 households.
Shaleen Kabra, Additional Chief Secretary, Jal Shakti, emphasises the need for expeditious execution of these schemes, urging field functionaries to maintain transparency, accountability, and accessibility during implementation. The involvement of local communities, District Administrations, and Pani Samitis (water committees) is highlighted as pivotal in achieving the mission’s objectives.
Jal Jeevan Mission, a collaborative effort of various stakeholders, including the Central Government, Jal Shakti Department, J&K, District Administrations, and local communities, aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water supply through tap connections in rural households.
As of now, Jammu and Kashmir have surpassed 75% coverage of tap water connections, earning the ‘High Achievers’ status at the national level. The FHTCs being provided are reported on the IMIS portal of JJM with Aadhar linkage of the beneficiaries.
The mission’s progress, with more than 3,300 planned schemes at an estimated cost of Rs. 12,975 crore, reflects a commitment to economic, transparent, and technically feasible implementation.
The contracts of more than 98% works under these schemes have been awarded through e-tendering in a transparent manner and out of which around 87% works have been started on ground. The allotments orders issued have been placed on the websites of the respective PHE Directorates in both the provinces.
The UT has already covered over 1,000 villages, reaching even remote areas like Batlan, Taraiyan, and Chanbra villages in Sub Division Tangdar of District Kupwara, located near the Line of Control (LoC). These villages, which previously relied on distant springs and streams, now have access to piped water.
The completion of Water Supply schemes Rampura and Sujwan in district Samba, costing Rs. 6.67 crore, has provided Functional Household Tap Connections to around 1,100 households, replacing the use of shallow hand pumps with deep tube wells for a consistent and quality water supply.
The people of these villages were mostly using the water from shallow hand pumps which were quality affected and through the newly commissioned schemes under Jal Jeevan Mission, deep tube wells have been drilled and required storages created for supplying the water of adequate quantity and prescribed quality as per BIS 10500, regularly.
To ensure transparency, the Har Ghar Jal Certification process has been introduced, allowing Gram Panchayats to certify villages reported as ‘Har Ghar Jal.’ This not only raises awareness about tap water connectivity but also promotes community ownership. The mission’s success underscores the concerted efforts of the UT in achieving its goals and ensuring access to clean and safe drinking water for all.
