The State-Level Scheme Sanctioning Committee (SLSSC) in Uttarakhand has approved drinking water supply schemes worth Rs 714 crore under the Jal Jeevan Mission in the hill state in last two months, according to an official release.

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), there is provision for constitution of State Level Scheme Sanctioning Committee (SLSSC) for consideration and approval of schemes to be taken up for making provision of tap water supply to rural households.

The SLSSC acts as a State level Committee to consider water supply schemes and projects, and a nominee of the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), Government of India is a member of the committee.

The panel approved drinking water supply schemes of Rs 164.03 crore under Jal Jeevan Mission in its meeting held on Thursday (23 December).

Of the eight water supply schemes sanctioned, all are multi-village schemes. It will provide tap water connection to more than 9,200 rural homes, the Jal Shakti Ministry said in a release on Friday (24 December).

These eight schemes will benefit 140 villages in Almora, Bageshwar, Dehradun, Nainital and Uttarkashi districts.

Masi, Mangurkhal and Jhimar multi-village tap water supply schemes in Almora district will benefit about 20 thousand people living in 68 villages.

Shama and Baidamajhera multi-village tap water supply schemes in Bageshwar district will benefit about 18 thousand people living in 38 villages.

Basgaon Loshgyani multi-village tap water supply schmes will provide clean tap water to more than 3 thousand people living in nine villages of Nainital district.

Similarly, Kandari multi-village scheme in Uttarkashi and Motidhar Paniyala scheme in Dehradun will benefit more than 7 thousand people living in 25 villages of these two districts.

All these villages face serious drinking water problem during summer months. It is expected that by December 2022 when these schemes will be completed, more than 48 thousand people living in these 140 villages will get adequate clean tap water supply for next 30-40 years on regular basis.

According to the ministry, in last two months, drinking water supply schemes worth Rs 714 Crore for 58.5 thousand homes in 846 villages spread across 11 districts of Uttarakhand benefitting more than 3 lakh people have been approved by the SLSSC.

This will immensely reduce the drudgery faced by women and children who spent many hours every day in fetching water from distant water sources, the ministry said.