| Safe drinking water for JK’s rural populace goes for a toss | | Out of 247 water schemes, mere five approved in five years | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Mar 11: The inefficacy of the Public Health Engineering department to provide safe drinking water to the rural populace in Jammu and Kashmir could be reflected from the fact that out of the total 247 water supply schemes, mere five have been approved in the past five years.
Documents in possession of the Early Times Newspaper reveal that during 2013-18, out of the 247 new schemes taken up for execution by the PHE Department under the programme, only 53 (21 per cent) had been referred to the Jammu Kashmir State Water Resources
Regularity Authority (JKSWRRA) against which five schemes had been approved and 48 were returned due to shortcomings in DPR, enclosed check list, source information, quality of water available, safety and environment measures. The Department, instead of clearing the shortcomings, executed all the schemes without the approval from JKSWRRA. Out of these 48 WSS, 40 were in the sampled divisions and were ongoing.
Over all fund utilisation during 2013-14 to 2017-18 ranged between 86 and 94 percent. There was a difference of Rs 2.01 crore and Rs 5.33 crore in the opening balance as on 1st April 2014 and 1st April 2017 vis-a-vis closing balance of the immediate previous years, which were attributed by the Department to inclusion of interest amount after reconciliation with bank as well as interest received from various divisions on NRDWP funds.
There was a decreasing trend in release of funds by GoI during 2014-17, from Rs 474.41 crore (2014-15) to Rs 192.12 crore (2015-16) and Rs 225.14 crore (2016-17). At the beginning of 2017-18 the required balance cost for completion of 873 ongoing water supply schemes was Rs 1586.47 crore, against which only Rs 281.45 crore were provided and the balance Rs 1305.02 crore were not released. Documents 873 water supply schemes taken up for execution at an estimated cost of Rs 2,348.38 crore during 2000-01 to 2015-16 remained incomplete as on March 2018 due to meager funding (832)/ non-funding (23). In respect of 18 schemes, although entire funds were released and schemes shown as financially completed, but were yet to be commissioned by the department. Completion of the schemes have suffered because of financial constraints and reasons like source disputes, non-finalization of revised DPRs, non-obtaining of forest clearance, land disputes etc.
Earlier, the Early Times had reported in detail that against the target of 5136 schools, 4305 schools were provided drinking water facilities during 2013-18 and 831 (16 per cent) schools were yet (2017-18) to be provided the facility. Just nine Anganwadi centers had been provided the facility of drinking water during the period. The targets fixed were very low and even the lower targets could not be achieved fully (84 per cent). |
|
