Question : Which Union Territory has achieved the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ status ?
A. Puducherry
B. Laddakh
C. Delhi
D. None of the above
Ans. A
- Puducherry has recently(May 2021) achieved the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ status.
- This is done by by ensuring that every rural home in the Union Territory getsa household tap connection.
- ‘Har Ghar Jal’ status group of four state
- With this, the UT becomes the fourth State/UT after Goa, Telangana and Andaman & Nicobar Islands to provide assured tap water supply to every rural home under Union Government’s flagship programme,Jal JeevanMission.
- Further, the State of Punjab and the UTs of Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu have also crossed the milestone of covering 75% of rural homes with assured tap water supply. 26.31 lakh households (76%) of Punjab out of 34.73 lakh have tap water supply and the State of Punjab plans for 100% coverage of all rural households by 2022.
- Puducherry’s success
- All 1.16 lakh rural households in Puducherry have tap water supply now. The UT has achieved the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ status much ahead of the target fixed.
- During Annual Action Plan finalization of the UT in April, 2021, it was urged to utilize various funds available through the convergence of different programmes like MGNREGS, JJM, SBM (G), 15th FC Grants to PRIs, District Mineral Development Fund, CAMPA, CSR Fund, Local Area Development Fund, etc.
- Jal Jeevan Mission(JJM)
- JJM is a flagship programme of the Union Government, which aims to provide tap water connection to every rural household of the country by 2024.
- Under Jal Jeevan Mission, in 2021-22, in addition to Rs 50,011 Crore budgetary allocation for JJM, there is also Rs 26,940 Crore assured fund available under the 15th Finance Commission tied-grant to RLB/ PRIs for water & sanitation, matching State share and externally aided as well as State funded projects.
By — Pankaj Pandey.