As a follow-up to the National Jal Jeevan Mission teams’ visit to Maharashtra in October, a review meeting with the Principal Secretary, water supply and sanitation department and his team was held at the Ministry of Jal Shakti, New Delhi.
The meeting was chaired by Additional Secretary and Mission Director, National Jal Jeevan Mission. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the progress made by the State in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission. The team shared the challenges they encounter on the ground as 145 blocks of Maharashtra are water-stressed.
In Maharashtra, out of a total of 1.42 crore rural households, 95.52 lakh (67.10 per cent) households have been provided with tap water connections. On 15 August 2019, at the time of the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, 48.43 lakh households (34 per cent) had access to tap water. In the last 26 months, 47.08 lakh households (33 per cent) have been provided with tap water connections.
Also, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has increased the Central share of the budget by four-fold to the State. The fund allocated to Maharashtra in 2020-21 was Rs 1,829 crore, which has been increased to Rs 7,064 crore. While approving the increased allocation, the Union Minister had assured full assistance by the Centre to the State to ensure ‘Har Ghar Jal’ in Maharashtra.
In addition, efforts are made to ensure tap water availability for drinking, cooking mid-day meals, washing hands and usage in toilets in all schools and Anganwadi centres. As of date, 71,062 schools (83 per cent) and 71,386 (78 per cent) AWCs in Maharashtra have been provided with tap water connections.