Jal Shakti Ministry allocated Rs 28,261 cr; gets marginal hike in Union Budget

The Jal Shakti Ministry, which is executing the government's mission to provide clean and piped drinking water to every household in the country, has been earmarked Rs 28,261.59 crore in the budget 2019-20. The Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Ministry of Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation have been merged into the Jal Shakti Ministry under the second term of the Modi government.

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has been earmarked Rs 20,016.34 crore in 2019-20 as compared to Rs 19,992.97 crore in 2018-19. Under this, the National Drinking Rural Mission has been allocated Rs 7,750.36 crore in 2019-20 as against Rs 5,391.32 crore in 2018-19. The Department of Water Resources and Ganga Rejuvenation has been allocated Rs 8,245.25 crore, compared to Rs 7,269.25 crore earmarked in 2018-19.

During her maiden budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spelled out water, its management, clean rivers as one of the 10 points of vision for the next decade. Ensuring India's water security and providing access to safe and adequate drinking water to all Indians is a priority of the government, she asserted.

The Jal Shakti ministry will look at the management of country's water resources and water supply in an integrated and holistic manner, and will work with states to ensure Har Ghar Jal (piped water supply) to all rural households by 2024 under the Jal Jeevan Mission, she said. The government has also identified 1,592 blocks which are critical and overexploited, spread across 256 districts for the Jal Shakti Abhiyan.

Besides using funds available under various Schemes, the government will also explore the possibility of using additional funds available under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for this purpose, she said.

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