J-K admin renames PHE&IFC dept as 'Jal Shakti Dept'

The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Thursday accorded sanction to renaming of the Public Health Engineering and Irrigation and Flood Control Department as the 'Jal Shakti Department'.

The Administrative Council, which met under the chairmanship of Lt Governor G C Murmu, also accorded sanction to the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and roadmap to achieve 100 per cent coverage of piped water supply by December 2021 across the UT, an official spokesman said.

"In order to accomplish the roadmap and align the activities of the department with the National Mission of Jal Jeevan, the administrative council accorded sanction to renaming of PHE & I&FC Department as 'Jal Shakti Department' and setting up of a Mission Directorate of Jal Jeevan Mission, J&K, by merging Communication and Capacity Development Unit (CCDU) to look after JJM works and an executive committee of JJM for its assistance with creation of necessary staff," he said.

The administrative council also approved the appointment of financial auditors at the provincial level to undertake an audit of the expenditure under the JJM, hiring of consultants for the project appraisal committees and appointment of third party technical monitors, the spokesman said.

He said special cells will be set up by the revenue and forest departments for speedy clearance of land and forest cases related to the Jal Jeevan Mission across J and K.

To achieve 100 per cent coverage under the JJM in a phased manner by December 2021, the PHE Department has carried out a detailed exercise to prepare District Water Security Plan through the District Water and Sanitation Mission headed by the concerned deputy commissioners, he said.

In the initial phase, seven districts -- Poonch, Reasi, Samba, Srinagar, Ganderbal, Shopian and Pulwama -- will be covered for 100 per cent piped water supply by June 2020, the spokesman said.

In the second phase, seven more districts will be covered by June 2021 and the remaining six districts in the third phase ending December 2021, he said.

At present, 30.5 per cent of J and K's rural households have piped water connections compared to the national average of 18 per cent, the spokesman said.

"Special focus will be laid under the mission to provide FHTC to remaining 11.12 lakh rural households out of 16.02 lakh in J&K as per Integrated Management of Information System (IMIS) data of JJM," he said.