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As many as 11.49 crore households now have tap water connections and over 1.53 lakh villages have potable water supply as the government doubles down on its efforts to make drinking water available to all, according to latest official data. The data as of March 21 showed massive jumps in piped water supply to schools, anganwadi centres and aspirational districts after the government allocated Rs 70,000 crore for the purpose in the current financial year ending March 31, (2022-23). This was 12 times more than the Rs 5,500 crore allotted in 2018-19. The statistics came on a day that is marked as World Water Day with the UN World Water Development Report 2023 saying 26 per cent of the world's population do not have access to safe drinking water and 46 per cent lack access to basic sanitation. The government is implementing various schemes including Jal Jeevan Mission, Atal Bhujal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana, Namami Gange and National Aquifer Mapping and Managing ...
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said water security is an important concern for India and conserving the resource is a collective responsibility. Modi said this in a virtual address at the launch of Jal Jan Abhiyan, a joint nationwide campaign of Brahma Kumaris and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, in Rajasthan's Sirohi district. We will have to generate faith in the value of water conservation among the people of the country," he said and called for combating water pollution. The prime minister said depleting groundwater is a major challenge for the country.
More than 7.81 crore rural households have been provided tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission over last three years, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Prahlad Singh Patel informed the Lok Sabha on Thursday. In a written reply to a question, the minister said as on January 31, 2023, out of 19.36 crore rural households in the country, around 11.06 crore (57.12 per cent) are reported to have tap water supply. At the time of the announcement of JJM, 3.23 crore (17 per cent) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. Goa, Telangana, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Gujarat and Haryana are among the states and Union Territories which have provided tap water to every rural household. The central government, in partnership with the states, is implementing the JJM since August 2019 to make tap water supply available to every rural household in the country. The estimated outlay of the mission is Rs 3.60 lakh cror
Climate change has adversely affected rain patterns, leaving scanty and erratic showers that negatively impact its harvesting, Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Thursday. Speaking at the 1st All India Annual States' Ministers Conference on 'Water Vision24/7' here, Shekhawat also said rapid urbanisation, increased demand and water pollution had reduced per capita availability of water from 5000 cm to 1500 cm, which would further reduce to 1200cm by 2047. "Climate change has changed rainfall patterns with scanty and erratic showers, which has and continues to negatively impact this harvestable component. By 2047, our requirement is likely to surpass availability of water and this is the reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi insisted this conference should be held with all states to chalk out a roadmap to ensure preparedness and contingency planning," the minister said. "India's water availability of 4,000 BCM (billion cubic meters) through rain, glaciers or