JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir has made significant strides in improving access to clean water in rural households through the “Jal Jeevan Mission” with many far-flung and hilly areas getting tap water supply for the first time in history.
The latest example of this achievement under the mission is the Lanker Pombay village of Panchayat Khaloora in Kulgam district, comprising about 80 households. This habitation did not have any sustainable water supply scheme and inhabitants were finding it very hard to meet their water needs. The locals would mainly depend on hand pumps and water tankers supplied by the department, for meeting their daily domestic water needs on a bare minimum basis.
With the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, a water supply scheme with dug-well as source worth Rs. 187.68 lakh, was conceived for this habitation for providing potable water supplies as per prescribed standards. The land for the construction of 0.60 Lakh Gallons RCC SR was provided by the villagers unhindered. The people-centric and inclusive approach adopted in conceiving this water supply scheme rekindled their hope and the public reposed faith in the department for having a sustainable water supply system.
Now, this scheme with a rising main length of 2000 m, distribution pipe network of about 6000 m and Reinforced Cement Concrete Service Reservoir, stands completed and the water supply through household level tap connections is being provided to this habitation.
Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide every rural household with a Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) within their premises, capable of delivering a minimum of 55 litres of water per capita per day while adhering to set quality standards. More than 3200 water supply schemes have been taken up across the UT at an estimated cost of about Rs. 13000 crore, against which Rs. 7000 crore (approx.) have been expended, so far, with the completion of about 1400 schemes and the remaining schemes being at advanced stages of completion.
To ensure transparency and accountability in the implementation of the Mission, a robust monitoring mechanism under the overall supervision of Mission Director, Jal Jeevan Mission with various units like UT level experts/consultants, District Project Management Units (DPMUs), third-party monitoring Inspection Agencies (TPIAs) and Pani Samiti’s besides District Jal Jeevan Mission (DJJM) headed by respective District Development Commissioners (DDCs) have been established in addition to regular monitoring by the field engineers and technicians. The local communities have also actively participated in the planning, implementation and monitoring of the mission activities at the village level.
To ensure cost-effectiveness and efficiency in project completion within established timelines, proven and successful solutions from regions like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttrakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Ladakh are being replicated in the region. These solutions included the utilization of HDPE pipe distribution systems in specific locations and incorporation of GRP water storage tanks.
With the accelerated pace of implementation over the past years, J&K remains steadfast in its commitment towards ensuring drinking water security for all its rural residents for the next three decades.
