70% households sans supply, Centre’s ambitious plan a mammoth challenge

100% piped water by 2022

JAMMU: The central government’s ambitious 'Har Ghar Nal Se Jaľ scheme launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi could be badly hit as 70% households in Jammu and Kashmir are yet to be connected for regular piped water supply and surprisingly, there is no infrastructure in place for connecting the households in rural areas.
As per the figures available exclusively with The News Now, only 30% households in Jammu and Kashmir are registered with the PHE Department for water supply through pipes, while 70% households are yet to be brought under the ambit of piped water supply.
Official sources said that the 30% households which get water supply through pipes are only in urban areas, while the rural areas have no infrastructure in place for getting connection for water supply as is envisaged under the central government’s 'Har Ghar Nal Se Jaľ .
Although, the central government has envisaged connecting each and every household of Jammu and Kashmir with piped water supply by 2022, but sources said “this is a mammoth exercise as there is no infrastructure in place for connecting each household with piped water supply in rural areas”.
They said to achieve the target, Jammu and Kashmir requires meticulous planning, faster execution and assured availability of funding as otherwise, it is not possible to achieve target despite all efforts.
The state administration, has however, on the directions of central government, has initiated ground work to identify households in the state which do not have water supply through pipes, sources said.
In this regard, Chief Engineer, PHE, Sanjeev Chadda, when contacted, said that panchayats have been involved to identify areas and households so that targeted result of water to each household is achieved within the stipulated timeframe by 2022.
“Water Security Plan is being formulated district wise and report will be prepared with active involvement of panchayat members to have complete data regarding households which have no water supply through pipes,” the Chief Engineer told The News Now.
The PHE Department is preparing a road map for consideration of the State Administrative Council (SAC) to achieve the given objective in a time bound manner, sources said.
Updated On 9/11/2019 9:03:26 AM