The State government has authorised the release of ₹285 crore towards the state’s share for the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) rural household tap connection scheme, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine said on Friday.
The Centre had released ₹292 crore as its share the other day. JJM implementation in Kerala is estimated to cost a little over ₹40,000 crore, which is equally shared between the Centre and the State governments. Both governments have, to date, released ₹10,371.98 crore towards this expenditure.
The Assembly had witnessed a row in July after the Opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) slammed the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government for derailing JJM through mismanagement and faulty planning and overshooting the national deadline. According to Union Jal Shakti Ministry data, functional household tap connectivity (FHTC) in rural Kerala households now stands at 53.38%, which is among the lowest in the country with only Rajasthan and West Bengal behind the State.
Mr. Augustine said on Friday that the State government is trying to complete the scheme within a year. Before JJM was launched, Kerala’s FHTC coverage in rural households had stood at just 17%, he pointed out.
In Kerala, JJM is being implemented by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA), Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency (Jalanidhi) and the State Groundwater department. The subsequent management of the scheme is the responsibility of local self-government institutions, Mr. Augustine said.
Although Central guidelines envision a per capita supply of 55 litres under JJM, in Kerala this limit has been enhanced to 100 litres per person, given the nature of water use in the State.
Published - August 09, 2024 06:37 pm IST
