AMN/ WEB DESK
The Centre has allocated around seven thousand crore rupees grant to West Bengal under Jal Jeevan Mission for 2021- 22 to provide every household with assured tap water supply on regular and long-term basis. At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, out of 163.25 lakh rural households in West Bengal, tap water supply to home was limited to only 2.14 lakh households which is about one per cent.
Ministry of Jal Shakti in a statement said that in the last 21 months, in West Bengal 14 lakh households have been given tap water connections, thus coverage has increased by 8.58 per cent to 9.90 per cent against the national average of 39 per cent.
The Ministry said, In 41 thousand 357 villages and out of 1.63 crore rural households, about 1.48 crore rural homes are to be provided with piped water connection. In 2020-21, West Bengal provided 12.48 Lakh tap connections against a target of 55.58 Lakhs. Due to slow implementation and resultant poor utilization of fund, the state could not draw the full allocated amount. Now, the state has planned to implement Jal Jeevan Mission with speed to provide tap water connections to 43.10 Lakh rural homes in 2020-21 and 52.74 Lakh Functional House Tap Connections in 2022-23 and 2023-24. Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat while approving the enhanced allocation, also assured full assistance to the state for provision of tap water supply to every rural home by 2024.