"Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Gar Jal" Scheme Implementation Is Dull in Andhra Pradesh
In Andhra Pradesh, the people in the rural areas are not getting safe drinking water through taps in time and the public is suffering for it the consumption of contaminated water is causing health problems
NewsBharati 12-Dec-2022 11:46:53 AM
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi after winning his second term in 2019 with a strong determination to provide safe drinking water to every household in rural India on the 75th Independence Day 15th August 2019 under the Jal Jeevan Mission by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Union Ministry of Water with the scheme of "Har Gar Jal" as a policy to provide safe drinking water directly to the 100% household through the tap by the end of 2024, the action was initiated. The estimated cost of this scheme for the entire country was estimated to be Rs 3.50 lakh crore, which is being executed by the state governments with a joint 50: 50 contribution from the Centre and the States.
At the time of the initiation of this scheme, there are 19.36 crore rural households in the country, out of which only 3.24 crore households i.e. 16.72% have access to safe drinking water through taps in the villages. Statistics show that, as far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned, safe drinking water is available through taps in villages almost two times higher than the average of our country at the time of the commencement of the scheme “ Har Gar Jal “. However, the target of providing safe drinking water by 2024 to the remaining 16.12 crore households in villages of the country, including 64.94 lakh households in Andhra Pradesh, is ambitious.
On the occasion of the completion of more than 40 months i.e. more than three years since the launch of the prestigious Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Gar Jal programme, to review the progress of the scheme in the country and in our state, We obtained information through the Right to Information Act, the Dashboard information on the website of the Ministry of Jalashakti is available on 10th December 2022 at 9.10pm, the most surprising things were revealed. So far, 10.65 crore households in the entire country, including 32.99 lakh households in Andhra Pradesh, are getting safe drinking water through taps.
Surprisingly, while only 16.72% households in the country were getting safe tap water at the start of the scheme in the year 2019, today the scheme is ahead towards the target of 55.23% rural households across the country by providing an additional 7.45 crore households safe drinking water through tap so far. On the other hand, in Andhra Pradesh, the target of 34.66% has been reached by providing safe drinking water taps to only 2.43 lakh households in addition to the 32.13% drinking water tap connections in addition to 30.74 lakh when the scheme was started in 2019. After the implementation of this scheme in 2019, 7.46 crore i.e. 46.25% of the additional connections have been provided at the national level, but in Andhra Pradesh, 2.43 lakh additional connections have been provided, which is only 3.74% addition till now. But the State of Andhra Pradesh, which had two times higher than the national average in terms of installation of taps at the time inception of the scheme, has now lagged far behind in the implementation of the scheme compared to the national average, which reflects the negative performance of the State government.
As part of Jal Jeevan Mission, Har Gar Jal, the facts have been revealed the two aspects of implementation of the scheme analysed closely in the present conditions in Andhra Pradesh. The first point is that the realisation of the implementation of the field level a scheme is 18,578 villages which have been required for the 100% completion in the state, but only 3,544 villages which are 19.07% have been completed 100% so far. Similarly, 9,357 villages i.e. 50.37% where work is in progress and 5,677 i.e. 30.56% villages where work has not yet commenced in the state. While the work of this scheme is being completed rapidly in other states of the country, the incomplete planning and slow action of the Government in Andhra Pradesh has become a curse for the people. Secondly, if we look at the table given below, the state government led by Jaganmohan Reddy is not sincere in providing safe drinking water to households through taps in the villages.
From 15th August, 2019 to date, the total funds required for Jal Jeevan Mission - Hargar Jal for the State of Andhra Pradesh was estimated to be Rs. 18,004.70 crores in 50:50 ratio between Central and State Governments, while the expenditure incurred by the Central Government is Rs. 1,084.99 crores and the expenditure incurred by the State Government is Rs, 563.14 crores, Hence the total expenditure incurred Rs. 1,648.13 crores only. The question arises that out of this performance, how the scheme will be completed as per the schedules in the state though the Central Government releases funds. It is questionable that how this scheme will be materialised as expected by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by 2024 without spending at least 10% of the total required funds and without the state government allocating a single penny of the necessary funds for the implementation of this scheme out of it’s 50% share though released substantially meagre amount of funds.
In fact, even when the Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Gar Jal scheme was launched by the central government, Andhra Pradesh was in a better position than any other state in the country in providing tap water to villages. While there were 95.69 lakh households in the state at the time of initiation of the scheme, 30.74 lakh households i.e. up to 32.13% had been already holds safe drinking water tap connection, that is almost two times higher than the national average of 16.72% have access to safe drinking water through tap in villages. But after three years of the implementation of this scheme it has reached only 34.66% in Andhra Pradesh where the National average has reached to 55.23% for the same period. Although the Central Government is rapidly providing its share of funds and all the States have been taken advantage of that opportunity for attaining substantial growth, the statistics make it clear that the State Government of Andhra Pradesh has completely failed to embrace the opportunity when all the resources are available. Andhra Pradesh Government is unable to implement this scheme at a minimum level of pace, especially in the district of Srikakulam and Palnadu, Guntur, Krishna, Machilipatnam, Bapatla and Kurnool districts where Krishna river water can be provided from the nearest distance. But it is an unbelievable situation that the villages in these districts are stand at the bottom in the implementation of the scheme.
Reasons for Andhra Pradesh Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Gar Jal (Safe drinking water through tap in rural areas) scheme has been lagging behind from being the front line in the country: 1) The main reason is lack of sincerity on the part of the State Government to implement the scheme, 2) Central Government has already allocated Rs 7,804.20 crore out of its share of Rs 8,956.30 crore in the estimated total cost of Rs 18,004.70 crore required for the implementation of this scheme in the last three years, while the allocation made by the state as its share is “Nil” ,, 3) In Spite of ample funds from the Central Government, only 1,648.13 crore rupees have been spent on the work done so far 4) The effect of poor financial management of the State Government, 5) The lack of planning by the State Government in the implementation of the scheme is evident, 6) Due to the temptation of the leaders of the ruling YSRCP party in the state to get back money through corruption in every work, the reasons such as above have caused for slowness in the implementation of this scheme. The people in the rural areas are not getting safe drinking water through taps in time and the public is suffering for it the consumption of contaminated water is causing health problems, the Jaganmohan Reddy-led state government should be held responsible for this.
At the time of the initiation of this scheme, there are 19.36 crore rural households in the country, out of which only 3.24 crore households i.e. 16.72% have access to safe drinking water through taps in the villages. Statistics show that, as far as Andhra Pradesh is concerned, safe drinking water is available through taps in villages almost two times higher than the average of our country at the time of the commencement of the scheme “ Har Gar Jal “. However, the target of providing safe drinking water by 2024 to the remaining 16.12 crore households in villages of the country, including 64.94 lakh households in Andhra Pradesh, is ambitious.
On the occasion of the completion of more than 40 months i.e. more than three years since the launch of the prestigious Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Gar Jal programme, to review the progress of the scheme in the country and in our state, We obtained information through the Right to Information Act, the Dashboard information on the website of the Ministry of Jalashakti is available on 10th December 2022 at 9.10pm, the most surprising things were revealed. So far, 10.65 crore households in the entire country, including 32.99 lakh households in Andhra Pradesh, are getting safe drinking water through taps.
Surprisingly, while only 16.72% households in the country were getting safe tap water at the start of the scheme in the year 2019, today the scheme is ahead towards the target of 55.23% rural households across the country by providing an additional 7.45 crore households safe drinking water through tap so far. On the other hand, in Andhra Pradesh, the target of 34.66% has been reached by providing safe drinking water taps to only 2.43 lakh households in addition to the 32.13% drinking water tap connections in addition to 30.74 lakh when the scheme was started in 2019. After the implementation of this scheme in 2019, 7.46 crore i.e. 46.25% of the additional connections have been provided at the national level, but in Andhra Pradesh, 2.43 lakh additional connections have been provided, which is only 3.74% addition till now. But the State of Andhra Pradesh, which had two times higher than the national average in terms of installation of taps at the time inception of the scheme, has now lagged far behind in the implementation of the scheme compared to the national average, which reflects the negative performance of the State government.
As part of Jal Jeevan Mission, Har Gar Jal, the facts have been revealed the two aspects of implementation of the scheme analysed closely in the present conditions in Andhra Pradesh. The first point is that the realisation of the implementation of the field level a scheme is 18,578 villages which have been required for the 100% completion in the state, but only 3,544 villages which are 19.07% have been completed 100% so far. Similarly, 9,357 villages i.e. 50.37% where work is in progress and 5,677 i.e. 30.56% villages where work has not yet commenced in the state. While the work of this scheme is being completed rapidly in other states of the country, the incomplete planning and slow action of the Government in Andhra Pradesh has become a curse for the people. Secondly, if we look at the table given below, the state government led by Jaganmohan Reddy is not sincere in providing safe drinking water to households through taps in the villages.
From 15th August, 2019 to date, the total funds required for Jal Jeevan Mission - Hargar Jal for the State of Andhra Pradesh was estimated to be Rs. 18,004.70 crores in 50:50 ratio between Central and State Governments, while the expenditure incurred by the Central Government is Rs. 1,084.99 crores and the expenditure incurred by the State Government is Rs, 563.14 crores, Hence the total expenditure incurred Rs. 1,648.13 crores only. The question arises that out of this performance, how the scheme will be completed as per the schedules in the state though the Central Government releases funds. It is questionable that how this scheme will be materialised as expected by Prime Minister Narendra Modi by 2024 without spending at least 10% of the total required funds and without the state government allocating a single penny of the necessary funds for the implementation of this scheme out of it’s 50% share though released substantially meagre amount of funds.
In fact, even when the Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Gar Jal scheme was launched by the central government, Andhra Pradesh was in a better position than any other state in the country in providing tap water to villages. While there were 95.69 lakh households in the state at the time of initiation of the scheme, 30.74 lakh households i.e. up to 32.13% had been already holds safe drinking water tap connection, that is almost two times higher than the national average of 16.72% have access to safe drinking water through tap in villages. But after three years of the implementation of this scheme it has reached only 34.66% in Andhra Pradesh where the National average has reached to 55.23% for the same period. Although the Central Government is rapidly providing its share of funds and all the States have been taken advantage of that opportunity for attaining substantial growth, the statistics make it clear that the State Government of Andhra Pradesh has completely failed to embrace the opportunity when all the resources are available. Andhra Pradesh Government is unable to implement this scheme at a minimum level of pace, especially in the district of Srikakulam and Palnadu, Guntur, Krishna, Machilipatnam, Bapatla and Kurnool districts where Krishna river water can be provided from the nearest distance. But it is an unbelievable situation that the villages in these districts are stand at the bottom in the implementation of the scheme.
Reasons for Andhra Pradesh Jal Jeevan Mission - Har Gar Jal (Safe drinking water through tap in rural areas) scheme has been lagging behind from being the front line in the country: 1) The main reason is lack of sincerity on the part of the State Government to implement the scheme, 2) Central Government has already allocated Rs 7,804.20 crore out of its share of Rs 8,956.30 crore in the estimated total cost of Rs 18,004.70 crore required for the implementation of this scheme in the last three years, while the allocation made by the state as its share is “Nil” ,, 3) In Spite of ample funds from the Central Government, only 1,648.13 crore rupees have been spent on the work done so far 4) The effect of poor financial management of the State Government, 5) The lack of planning by the State Government in the implementation of the scheme is evident, 6) Due to the temptation of the leaders of the ruling YSRCP party in the state to get back money through corruption in every work, the reasons such as above have caused for slowness in the implementation of this scheme. The people in the rural areas are not getting safe drinking water through taps in time and the public is suffering for it the consumption of contaminated water is causing health problems, the Jaganmohan Reddy-led state government should be held responsible for this.
Dinakar Lanka
Author Dinakar Lanka (B.Com., F.C.A.) is a Public speaker, Spokesman and Analyst in Print and Electronic Media. He is also the Andhra Pradesh Political Feedback Pramukh for BJP. His expertise and area of writing encapsulates Economy, Finance, Current Affairs of Indian Politics.