New Delhi: The government has approved increasing the outlay for the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 by ₹1.51 trillion, and cleared new road and rail projects worth ₹8,300 crore at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
The government also greenlit additional budget to extend the Delhi-Mumbai highway to the upcoming Jewar airport in Uttar Pradesh, and approved full-fledged international status for the Madurai airport in Tamil Nadu, according to a cabinet statement.
The Union cabinet and its committee on economic affairs (CCEA) gave its go-ahead to raise the outlay for the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 to ensure tap water for every rural household to ₹8.7 trillion till 2028. The Centre’s share will be ₹3.59 trillion, up from ₹Rs 2.08 trillion approved in FY20, while the rest will be borne by states, the cabinet statement said.
The second iteration of the scheme will involve restructuring, which will focus on water supply from the infrastructure that is already set up, as well as community involvement to utilize water assets well, said Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union minister for railways, information and broadcasting, and electronics and information technology.
The Jal Jeevan Mission was approved for the 2019-2024 period, and 12.6 crore households have been provided with a working tap connection till date, Vaishnaw said, adding that separate agreements will be signed with states for reforms in the next three months.
“The reforms will address operation and maintenance of the infrastructure which has been set up, involving local communities, finding new sources of water in places where population is rising; in a way making the mission sustainable,” said Vaishnaw.
There will be digital mapping of all water resources, including the infrastructure set up under the Mission, said Vaishnaw. “To this end, a uniform national digital framework, namely “Sujalam Bharat”shall be instituted, under which every village shall be assigned a unique Sujal Gaon / Service Area ID, digitally mapping the complete drinking water supply system from source to tap,” said a cabinet statement.
Additionally, the government will work towards increasing community involvement in the restructuring of the mission.
“The success of the program will largely depend on how effectively it is implemented at the ground level,” said Jitendra Meena, a professor at Delhi University. “While the scheme primarily focuses on providing tap water to rural households, the government should also consider creating infrastructure to ensure water availability for cattle, as the livelihoods of many rural families are closely linked to animal husbandry.”
Rail, road projects
The CCEA also approved an enhancement of ₹689.24 crore in the budget for the creation of a new road connecting the Delhi-Mumbai highway to the upcoming Jewar airport, taking the total budget up to ₹3,631 crore, according to its statement. The increased budget will be used to build an above-ground road 11 km long, out of the total 31 km.
The CCEA also greenlit the four-laning of an 80.45 km stretch of highway from the Badnawar-Petlawad-Thandla-Timarwani section in central India with a total capital cost of ₹Rs 3,839.42 crore.
“The approved corridor will provide connectivity of Ujjain to Timrawani interchange at the Delhi-Mumbai Expressway (DME). The primary purpose of the proposed four-lane project corridor is to improve travel efficiency and is expected to reduce travel time by approx. one hour,” said a CCEA statement.
Two railway projects in West Bengal worth ₹Rs. 4,474 crore also got the CCEA’s approval on Tuesday. These are the Sainthia-Pakur and the Santragachi-Kharagpur fourth lines.
These projects covering five districts across West Bengal and Jharkhand will increase the Indian Railways’ existing network by about 192 km, the CCEA statement said.
The Union cabinet also approved the declaration of Madurai airport in Tamil Nadu’s temple city as an international airport.
“Elevating Madurai Airport to International Status would enhance regional connectivity, promote trade, and drive economic development in the region. The airport’s potential to attract international pilgrims and businesses aligns with the city’s historical prominence,” said a cabinet statement.
The Madurai airport was earlier a customs-notified airport with limited international flights to destinations such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Colombo, said Vaishnaw.
