52.85 lakh rural houses set to get piped water

This woman at Arongottukulambu, near Malampuzha, walks a long distance to get water for her family’s daily needs. Though the southwest monsoon has set in, drinking water is scarce at Malampuzha, Akathethara, Pudupariyaram, Mundur, and Marutha Road in Palakkad. The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), launched on Thursday, is expected to provide tap connections to 52.85 lakh households in the State by 2024. (Source: K.K. Mustafah)

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the Centrally assisted Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) rural water supply programme in the State on Thursday.

The government envisages piped water connections to 10 lakh rural households in 2020-21 fiscal.

In all, 52.85 lakh rural households will be covered by 2024.

At a function held at the Secretariat, Mr. Vijayan handed over the Malayalam version of the JJM operational guidelines to Local Self-Government Minister A. C. Moideen.

Water Resources Minister K. Krishnankutty and senior officials were present.

The outlay for 2020-21 is ₹1,525 crore, which will be borne equally by the Central and the State governments.

Panchayats will have the lead role in the implementation and maintenance of water supply projects under the JJM.

Priority norm

In the first phase, panchayats which are prepared to contribute 15% of the project cost as grama panchayat share and 10% as beneficiary contribution will get priority.

For implementing the programme, the government has formed the State Water and Sanitation Mission, the District Water and Sanitation Mission, and, at the panchayat level, the Village Water and Sanitation Committee.