Inordinate delay in preparing/setting VAPs, VWSCs
*Water Quality Testing Labs yet to get NABL accreditation
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Mar 26: The Standing Committee on Water Resources has painted dismal scenario about the utilization of funds released under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir during the current financial year. Moreover, it has expressed serious concern over inordinate delay in preparation of Village Action Plans (VAPs) and constitution of Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), which otherwise have an important role to play in implementation and monitoring of the scheme.
In its report tabled in both the Houses of the Parliament, the Standing Committee on Water Resources comprising 29 Members of Parliament has pointed out poor utilization of funds released to J&K by the Union Government during the financial year 2021-22 under Jal Jeevan Mission, the main objective of which is to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all.
At the beginning of the current financial year (2021-22), there was Opening Balance (OB) to the tune of Rs 113.96 crore and during the year the Union Ministry allocated Rs 2747.17 crore to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir for implementation of different components of Jal Jeevan Mission. Against this, the Union Government released Rs 604.18 crore but the utilization as on February 9, 2022 was to the tune of Rs 52.21 crore only. These figures depict that the utilization was merely 21.99%.
Under Jal Jeevan Mission, Village Water and Sanitation Committee is an integral partner in the planning process. The plan prepared by the village, which is generally known as Village Action Plan (VAP), is based on the participatory approach. The aggregation of VAPs is done at the district level and a District Action Plan is prepared and these in turn are again aggregated at the State/UT level.
As per the statistics of the Government of India, against a total of 6887 villages, which fall under the ambit of Jal Jeevan Mission, Village Water and Sanitation Committees were constituted in 5806 villages while as Village Action Plans were prepared in respect of 5427 villages as on February 9, 2022.
Expressing serious concern over poor progress in preparing/setting up of VAPs and VWSCs by the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Standing Committee of Members of Parliament has stressed that unless these important aspects are taken seriously the targets under the scheme may not be achieved within the deadline fixed by the Government of India.
“The VAPs and VWSCs play very important role in monitoring and implementation of the scheme and are crucial link in the success of Jal Jeevan Mission as such serious attention should be paid towards the same and Union Ministry is supposed to take up the matter with the J&K UT Government”, the Committee has mentioned in the report.
Pointing towards two Aspirational Districts in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the Parliamentary Panel has revealed that there are total 3.10 lakh households in the Aspirational Districts but only 1.85 lakh households have been provided tap water connections. These figures reveal that only 59.61% progress has been achieved as on February 9, 2022.
Similarly, against a total of 6820 Ashram Shala, Gram Panchayat buildings, Panchayat Ghar, Health Centre, Community Centre and other Government offices, which are required to be covered with tap water supply under Jal Jeevan Mission, about 5265 were provided the same as on February 9, 2022 and the percentage of coverage is 77.20.
The Jal Jeevan Mission lays enough thrust on establishment of Drinking Water Quality Testing Laboratories at the State, District, Block and Sub-Divisional levels besides mobile laboratories so as to ensure clean drinking water to every household. As per the statistics, in J&K Union Territory there are 20 such laboratories at the district level, two at block level and 70 at Sub-Division level. However, there is no mobile laboratory in the Union Territory. Shockingly, none of the Drinking Water Quality Testing Laboratories is National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accredited.
It is pertinent to mention here that NABL is a Constituent Board of Quality Council of India.
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