Karnataka to provide tap water to 25 lakh households in FY22

Karnataka has informed the Centre that it planned to provide tap water connections to 25 lakh households by March 2022 under Jal Jeevan Mission.

During a discussion on the state's annual action plan for the year 2021-22 with the Union Jal Shakti Ministry officials about the Jal Jeevan Mission, Karnataka said that the state has 91.19 lakh rural households, out of which only 28.44 lakh (31.2 per cent) have tap water supply.

So far, 23 Panchayats and 676 villages in the state have been declared ‘Har Ghar Jal' (water in every rural household), the state informed the Centre.

So far, 95 per cent schools and 95 per cent Anganwadi centres, 84 per cent Ashramshalas, 91 per cent Gram Panchayat buildings and 92 per cent health centres in the state are provided with piped water connections.

"The state is planning to cover 17,111 villages falling under the priority category including drought-prone and desert regions, SC/ ST dominated habitations, aspirational districts in the current financial year," said the statement from the Jal Shakti Ministry.

The national committee of the Jal Shakti Ministry headed by the Secretary of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation analysed the state's annual action plan and advised it to gear up and make concerted efforts to not just complete the task from last year but also fast-track work planned for the current year.

In 2021-22, out of 30 districts in Karnataka, the state government is planning to provide 100 per cent tap water connections to every rural household in two districts, said the statement.

The committee emphasized the need to test schools and anganwadi centres along with households getting water supply.

To ensure transparency and accountability, a robust grievance redressal mechanism has been developed by the state called ‘Bhoomi online – Parihara'.

In the previous financial year 2020-21, Rs 1,189 crore Central fund was allocated for the state while in FY22, the state is likely to get Rs 3,000 crore, the statement said.

Jal Jeevan Mission, a Centrally-funded scheme, aims to provide 55 litres of potable water per person per day to every rural household of the country by 2024. The scheme was launched in August 2019.