CM: Prepare time-bound plan to provide tap connections in rural areas on war-footing

MUMBAI: Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday directed officials to prepare a time-bound plan to provide tap connection in rural areas on a war-footing by 2024.

Of the 14,236,000 tap connections to be set up as part of central government’s Jal Jeevan Mission, Maharashtra has completed 65%, while 4.9 million tap connections are remaining.

Chairing a review meetings on the Jal Jeevan Mission, Thackeray said the state will not let funds and required manpower fall short for the programme. “The objective under Jal Jeevan Mission is to provide over 14.23 million tap connections in the rural areas of the state by the year 2024. Though this goal is big, this work is virtuous and we have to do it. To achieve this goal of connecting pipes by 2024, a time bound programme should be drawn up and implemented by all agencies on war-footing,” he said as per the statement from CMO.

By March 2022, the state plans to provide 2.75 million tap connections, where 13 districts, 131 blocks, and 12,839 villages will have 100% coverage of the scheme, the water supply and sanitation department said. This is expected to cost ₹12,950 crore. According to water supply minister Gulabrao Patil, the Centre has provided ₹7,064 crore, while the state too has allocated same amount of funds making ₹14,128 crore available for the project. In 2020-21, Maharashtra has provided 37.15 lakh tap water connections in rural areas.

Of the total tap connections, 9.3 million or 65% work has been completed till August 31, 2021. The remaining 4.9 million connections are pending. The objective is to provide enough water to each household to supply 55 litres of water per person per day instead of 40, the statement from CMO added.