Ten lakh rural households will get piped water connection this financial year under the Centrally assisted Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the State government said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will formally launch the initiative, which aims at covering 52.85 lakh households in the State by 2024, here on Thursday. In the current fiscal, JJM-related works are estimated to cost ₹1,525 crore, which will be shared equally by the State and Central governments.
Of 67 lakh rural households in Kerala, only 17.5 lakh have water connections. Rural Kerala is also served by 1.56 lakh public taps. JJM schemes will be implemented through grama panchayats, as required by the operational guidelines issued by the Centre. In 2020-21, priority will be given to panchayats which are prepared to shell out 15% as their share and 10% as beneficiary contribution.
Missions formed
For overseeing the implementation, the State government has formed the State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) and District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) and at the panchayat level, the Village Water and Sanitation Committee.
For ensuring water connections in their jurisdictions, the village water and sanitation committee is required to prepare a Village Action Plan. This has to be cleared by the district-level panel and included in the district action plan.
During the formal inauguration to be held at the Secretariat, the Chief Minister will hand over the JJM guidelines to Local Self Government Minister A.C. Moideen in the presence of Water Resources Minister K. Krishnankutty.
