Meghalaya has qualified for the performance incentive grant for 2021-22 under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home by 2024.
Five other states—Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Sikkim, Tripura and Himachal Pradesh too will receive the grant that amounts to Rs 1,982 crore.
Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat approved the grant to these states with Arunachal Pradesh to receive Rs. 542 crore, Manipur Rs. 120 crore, Meghalaya Rs. 400 crore, Sikkim Rs. 70 crore, Tripura Rs. 100 crore and Himachal Pradesh Rs. 750 crore.
“The provision of performance incentive fund under Jal Jeevan Mission has generated a healthy competition among States/ UTs, which will help in speedy implementation and assured water supply under this mission. The mission aims to provide household tap water connection to every rural home by 2024,” the ministry said.
Stating that despite COVID-19 pandemic and resultant lockdowns and disruption in last two years implementation of JJM is going on smoothly the ministry said during the financial year, more than 2.05 crore rural households have been provided tap water connection.
Presently, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra& Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Goa, Haryana, Puducherry and Telangana have become ‘Har Ghar Jal’ States/ UT and every household in 106 districts and 1.44 lakh villages of the country have tap water supply, it added.
Since announcement of the mission on August 15, 2019 so far more than 6.10 crore households have been provided with tap water connections, thus increasing the tap water supply from 3.23 crore (17%) to more than 9.34 Crore (48.3%) rural households in the country.
Meanwhile, the ministry said as five Northeast states have qualified for the performance incentive grant, the Union Minister had a number of review meetings as well as visits to NE States to expedite the implementation.
The National Jal Jeevan Mission also sent a number of multi-disciplinary team of experts to help these states to plan better and implement with speed, it added.
