Jalajeevan project inaugurated in Kerala, 1.64 mn water connections soon

Kerala Chief Minister

Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday announced that the process of providing 16.48 lakh drinking water connections in the state's rural areas will start soon.

The Chief Minister was speaking after the online inauguration of the Jalajeevan Mission project implemented by his government to provide drinking water connection to 49.65 lakh rural households in the state by 2024.

"In addition to the project providing domestic connections, 69 drinking water projects worth Rs 4,351 crores are being realized in the state through funding from KIIFB,"an official release quoted him as saying.

Administrative sanction has been accorded to projects worth Rs 4,343.89 crores in 716 panchayats, through the Jalajeevan Mission in the first phase.

As many as 564 projects will be implemented during the first phase.

Domestic connections are provided by increasing the capacity of the existing freshwater projects, extending some projects and strengthening the source of some, Vijayan noted.

The second phase of the project aims at providing drinking water connectivity to all households in 586 villages, 380 panchayats and 23 block panchayats.

Beneficiaries belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes have been included in the first phase of the scheme so that they get to avail the benefits as soon as possible.

"The project will be implemented in a transparent and time-bound manner so ensure that the public and the people's representatives can know about the progress of the project through the website at any time.

The Kerala Water Authority and Jalanidhi are the implementing agencies for the project. The scheme is being implemented by utilizing central assistance by forming committees from panchayat level to state-level, he added.

The Jalajeevan Mission project will provide drinking water connection to 21.42 lakh households in 2020-21.

Out of the total 67.15 lakh rural households in Kerala, only 17.50 lakh households have access to drinking water.

The aim is to provide drinking water connection to all the remaining rural households through the Jalajeevan project.

The CM also said the government has undertaken several projects to improve the irrigation and water resources sector.

Coastal protection projects worth Rs 239.74 crores were started in the state on Wednesday.

Also, a project worth Rs 360 crores is being implemented with the assistance of the World Bank for the rehabilitation and improvement of dams.