jal jeevan mission boost 

The government plans to provide 55 litres of drinking water to every rural household by plugging gaps and overhauling the state's rural drinking water infrastructure, reports Kiranmai Tutika

Metro India News | amaravati :

The Andhra Pradesh government is planning to restructure the water infrastructure and go beyond merely laying pipelines. At the launch of “Amruthadhara,” a comprehensive initiative aimed at overhauling the state's rural drinking water infrastructure under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan speaking at a workshop in Vijayawada said, “We need to move beyond simply laying pipelines. Our goal is to provide 55 litres of safe drinking water per person per day in every rural household. We must ensure that not a single rupee is misused and that the mission's objectives are met.”

Pawan Kalyan criticized the previous government's poor implementation of the mission, alleging mismanagement and misuse of funds. The previous administrations had submitted inadequate proposals to the central government, requesting only Rs.26,000 crore compared to other states like Kerala, which sought Rs.45,000 crore despite being smaller in size. He also claimed that the state government failed to provide matching grants, hindering the effective utilization of central funds.

He stated that Rs. 4,000 crore was spent on connecting pipelines to borewells, which are unreliable and do not guarantee safe drinking water. “The previous government laid pipelines in villages without a proper plan for water sourcing or delivery,” Kalyan stated. “They simply attempted to connect them to nearby borewells. This approach is unsustainable and does not ensure consistent access to potable water.”

The Deputy CM revealed that a recent “pulse survey” exposed discrepancies in the number of functional household tap connections claimed by the previous government. While they reported 70.04 lakh connections, the survey found only 55.37 lakh functional connections out of 85.22 lakh households.

Pawan Kalyan announced that the state government has requested Rs.70,000 crore from the central government to comprehensively address the drinking water crisis. He emphasized the need for detailed project reports (DPRs) for each district, focusing on sustainable water sources and efficient distribution. He expressed confidence that the central government would be receptive to extending the mission's deadline if a robust plan is presented.

The Deputy CM called for community participation in the project and stressed the importance of grievance redressal mechanisms. “This is not just about infrastructure; it's about fulfilling a basic human need,” he said.

Shashi Bhushan Kumar, Principal Secretary of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, echoed Kalyan's sentiments, emphasizing the government’s commitment to providing clean drinking water as a fundamental right. He urged officials to prepare comprehensive DPRs and work in line with the government's objectives.

The workshop, titled “Amruthadhara”, was attended by key officials from the Panchayat Raj, Rural Development, and Rural Water Supply departments.