New Delhi [India], December 30 (ANI): Drinking water supply schemes of Rs. 15,381.72 crore were approved under Jal Jeevan Mission in the State of Madhya Pradesh in the State-level Scheme Sanctioning Committee (SLSSC) meeting, informed the Ministry of Jal Shakti on Thursday.

According to the ministry, 22 multi-village schemes were sanctioned to provide tap water connection to more than 1.09 Crore rural population. These 22 schemes will benefit 9,240 villages in Rewa, Satna, Sehore, Sidhi, Alirajpur, Badwani, Jabalpur, Panna, Mandla, Sagar, Katni, Dhar, Sheopur, Umaria, and Khargone districts. Since the State plans to provide tap water supply to all rural households by 2023, approval of these schemes is very important at this juncture, said the ministry.

The ministry stated that all these villages face drinking water problems in summer. It is expected that more than 22 lakh households living in these9,240 villages will get adequate clean tap water supply for the next 30-40 years on regular basis, it added.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), there is a provision for the constitution of the State Level Scheme Sanctioning Committee (SLSSC) for consideration and approval of schemes to be taken up for making provision of tap water supply to rural households.

The SLSSC acts as a State-level Committee to consider water supply schemes/ projects, and a nominee of the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), Government of India is a member of the committee.

In 2021-22, Rs. 5,117 Crore has been allocated to the State, out of which an amount of Rs 2,558 Crore has already been released to Madhya Pradesh for the implementation of the 'HarGhar Jal' programme. This will immensely reduce the drudgery faced by women and children who spend hours every day fetching water from distant water sources.

On 15th August 2019, at the time of the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, only 13.53 lakh (11 per cent) rural homes in the State had tap water supply. In the last 28 months, despite Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown disruptions, the State has provided tap water connections to 31.63 lakh (25.8 per cent) households.

As on date, out of 1.22 Crore, rural households in the State, 45.16 lakh (36.93 per cent) are getting tap water supply in their homes. In 2021-22, the State plans to provide tap water connections to 22.1 lakh households.

To translate Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's vision of ensuring clean tap water in every household, the Mission, has released Rs. 2,558.39 Crore grant-in-aid to Madhya Pradesh during 2021-22.

This year, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat allocated Rs. 5,116.79 crore which is a four-fold increase from last year's allocation. Union Minister, Jal Shakti, while approving the four-fold increase assured full assistance to the State for making provision of tap water supply in every rural home by December 2023.

In the meeting NJJM team emphasized the need for speedy implementation, assuring the quality of works, effective community contribution and advised the State to include the provision of greywater management through convergence in the water supply schemes as it's very important component of Jal Jeevan Mission.

To ensure safe tap water to children in schools, ashramshalas and anganwadi centres in the country, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced a 100-days campaign, which was launched by the Union Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on 2nd October 2020. Tap water provided in learning centres is used by children and teachers for drinking, cooking mid-day meals, hand washing and in toilets.

68,811 schools (73 per cent) and 40,357 anganwadi centres (60 per cent) in Madhya Pradesh have been provided tap water supply in their premises. The State has been urged to ensure tap water supply in remaining schools and AWCs at the earliest.

Working in line with 'SabkaSath, SabkaVikas, SabkaVishwas and SabkaPrayas', Jal Jeevan Mission's motto is 'no one is left out' and it aims at universal access to the potable tap water supply. At the start of the mission in 2019, out of a total of 19.20 Crore rural households in the country, only 3.23 Crore (17 per cent) had tap water supply.

During the last 28 months, despite Covid-19 pandemic and lockdowns disruptions, Jal Jeevan Mission has been implemented with speed and today, 5.50 Crore rural households have been provided with tap water connections. Presently, 8.74 Crore (45.5 per cent) rural households across the country have tap water supply.

States of Goa, Telangana, Haryana and UTs of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry, DNH and DD have ensured 100 household tap connections in rural areas. At present, every household in 84 districts and more than 1.30 lakh villages are receiving tap water supply in their homes. (ANI)