In the pipeline: Flagship scheme to take faucet water to all cities, cities

IN THE Budget, the Centre is prone to announce a brand new flagship programme — Jal Jeevan Mission-Urban (JJM-Urban) — to supply faucet water connections to all statutory cities, and, individually, sewer connections to all cities with a inhabitants of over 1 lakh, by 2026.
Government sources stated the Expenditure Finance Committee accepted the Rs 2,79,500-crore five-year programme on December 17, and the Union Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry has submitted the proposal to the Cabinet Secretariat.
“There was a demand from states that cities not covered under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) should also be provided support for water and sewage,” a supply advised The Sunday Express.
“More than 3,500 cities are not supported by any structured scheme… so the government has decided to launch another scheme to cover all 4,000 for water supply,” the supply stated. The proposal to the EFC estimates JJM-Urban to focus on 2.68 crore households which would not have faucet connections, and a pair of.64 crore households with out sewerage or septage amenities.
Sources stated the proposal would subsume AMRUT beneath JJM-Urban. The ongoing AMRUT programme focuses on 500 cities, largely these with over 1 lakh inhabitants, and goals to supply faucet connections to 1.39 crore households. The scheme has at the moment offered 95 lakh connections, roughly 75 per cent, they stated.
While JJM (U) goals to saturate city areas with faucet connections, the remaining sewage connections outdoors of the AMRUT cities will probably be overseen by the Swachh Bharat Mission.
Acknowledging that the onus of fetching water falls squarely on girls and ladies within the Indian society, the proposal states that “the time saved could be used to attend to education, economic activities, and general wellbeing.”
The proposed funding sample for JJM (U) is to have the Centre present 100 per cent funding in Union Territories and not using a legislature, 90 per cent in North Eastern and different Himalayan States, half in cities with a inhabitants beneath one lakh, one-third in cities with a inhabitants between one lakh and 10 lakh, and one-fourth in cities with over 1,000,000 individuals.
“With ever changing scenarios in the field of water, like improving technology, funding through external sources and availability of water through various sources like surface water, recycled waste water, harvested rainwater etc. it is imperative to devise comprehensive water plans for every city… The water supply needs to be sustainable, equitable and should meet specified quality standards,” the proposal seen by The Sunday Express states.
“The EFC had recommended a few suggestions, such as providing outcome-based funding, rather than just input or project based funding,” stated the supply, stating that they’d try to mix a majority of these funding after two years. Swachh Bharat Mission at the moment supplies some degree of end result primarily based funding, the place the Center pays the states as soon as sure objectives are achieved.
“The EFC also recommended private-public partnerships… but this may be difficult in the water sector. It’s not like roads with tolls,” the supply stated.
The doc states The Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the French Development Bank, and KfW, the German Development Bank, have present curiosity to fund as much as $200 million and $300 million, respectively.

India’s city inhabitants is roughly 37.7 crore, of which 32 crore individuals reside in 4,041 statutory cities and 20.48 crore individuals have entry to piped water provide, in line with Census 2011. At the household-level, 4.28 crore households out of a complete 6.71 crore within the statutory cities had entry to piped water provide.
The proposal to the EFC estimates a complete city inhabitants of 44.03 crore in statutory cities by 2025 (assuming a development price of two.31 per cent), of which 33.19 crore can have entry to piped water provide. Similarly, it estimates 9.24 crore city households in all statutory cities.
A portion, 11 per cent, of funds could also be earmarked for improvement of parks and inexperienced areas, the proposal states. Other allotted prices embody a expertise sub-mission; data, training, and communication; and reform incentive.