For Jal Jeevan, govt gives ~50,000 crore

As much as ~50,000 crore has been earmarked for the Jal Jeevan Mission in the Budget 2021-22, even as Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday announced the scheme's urban segment that aims to provide tap water con- nections to 28.6 million house- holds. In the Budget, the Drinking Water and Sanitation Department under the Jal Shakti Ministry has been allocated ~60,030 crore, while ~9,022.57 crore has been earmarked for the Department of Water Resources, the River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation.

The DWS has seen a hike of more than three times in its Budget allocation. In 2019-20, the DWS was allocated ~18,264.26 crore. It came down marginally to ~17,023.50 in 2020-21. In the coming fiscal year, the DWS has been earmarked ~60,030 crore.

Launched in 2019, the Jal Jeevan

Mission, a flagship programme of the Modi government, aims to provide tap water connections to rural households by 2024. So far, tap water connections have been given to 33 million rural households.

In this Budget, ~50,000 crore has been earmarked for this scheme. Additionally, Sitharaman announced the urban segment of this scheme.

The ambitious urban segment of the mission will be implemented over five years with an outlay of ~287,000 crore.

"The Jal Jeevan Mission (urban) will be launched. It aims at universal water supply in all 4,378 Urban Local Bodies with 28.6 million household tap connections, as well as liquid waste management in 500 AMRUT (Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation) cities. It will be implemented over 5 years, with an outlay of ~287,000 crore," Sitharaman said in her Budget speech.

THE AMBITIOUS URBAN SEGMENT OF THE MISSION WILL BE IMPLEMENTED OVER FIVE YEARS WITH AN OUTLAY OF ~287,000 CRORE