Centre allocates Rs.3,691 Crore grants to Tamil Nadu under Jal Jeevan Mission to make provision of tap water supply to every home

In Tamil Nadu, out of a total of 1.26 Crore households, 40.36lakh households (31.80%) have been provided with tap water connections. On 15th August 2019, at the time of launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, only 21.65 lakh (17.06%) households had tap water supply. In 22 months,18.70 lakh(14.74%) households in the State have been provided tap water connections.

Thus, in Tamil Nadu there are still 86.53 lakh households without tap water supply. With the present pace of 16.13 lakh households (in 2020-21), it is a huge task to be accomplished in next three years. To achieve this by 2024, the State needs to increase its pace of providing tap water supply to rural households by 179%.

The State Government is yet to finalize and present its Annual Action Plan (2021-22) to achieve the goal of ensuring tap water to every rural household. National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India has asked the State Government to finalize Annual Action Plan for the year 2021-22 without any further delay, and present the same as first quarter of the financial year is coming to an end.

Urging the State to accelerate the pace of implementation and emphasizing the work of providing tap connections should start in all the villages so that Tamil Nadu can provide tap water supply to every household by 2024, Union Minister, Jal Shakti, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has written a letter to the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.

In 2020-21, Rs.921.99Crore Central grant was allocated to Tamil Nadu but the State could draw only Rs. 544.51 Crore, and surrendered Rs. 377.48 Crore meant for tap water supply in rural areas of the State. This year with four-fold increase in Central allocation (Rs 3,691.21 crore), unspent balance of Rs.377.48 Crore and short fall of Rs. 290.79 Crore in State matching share in 2020-21, and matching State’s share in this year, Tamil Nadu has an assured availability of Rs. 8,428.17 Crore under Jal Jeevan Mission for water supply work in 2021-22. Thus, there is no shortage of fund availability. In his letter to the Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu, the Union Minister has hoped that this enhanced allocation will enable the State to achieve various planned activities under Jal Jeevan Mission to provide tap water connection to every household in rural areas.