A drinking water supply scheme worth Rs 225.24 crore has been approved for Uttarakhand during a state-level scheme sanctioning committee (SLSSC) meeting on Friday.

These schemes will provide tap water connections in 293 villages spread over 7 districts of the State. Of the 12 water supply schemes sanctioned, 11 are multi-village and one is a single village scheme. It will provide tap water connection to over 19,000 rural household.

As of now, out of 15.18 lakh rural households in Uttarakhand, 7.41 lakh (48.79%) are getting tap water supply in their homes. In 2021-22, the State government plans to provide tap water connections to 2.64 lakh households, said a statement released by the central government.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), there is a provision for the constitution of State Level Scheme Sanctioning Committee (SLSSC) for consideration and approval of schemes to be taken up for making provision of tap water supply to rural households. The SLSSC acts as a State level Committee to consider water supply schemes/ projects, and a nominee of the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), Government of India is a member of the committee.

To ensure clean tap water in every household and freeing women and girls from the drudgery of fetching water from a distance, the Mission has released Rs 360.95 crore grant–in–aid to Uttarakhand during 2021-22.

In 2019-20, Central Government had allocated Rs 170.53 crore for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission. This year in 2021, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat allocated Rs 1,443.80 crore which is four-fold increase from last year. Union Minister, Jal Shakti, while approving the four-fold increase assured full assistance to the State for making provision of tap water supply in every rural home by December 2022., the ministry of Jal Shakti said in a statement.