Tap water on paper, no proper accounts, says J&K probe panel

SRINAGAR: Tap water existing only on paper, people in some areas still having to hire horses for “transporting drinking water to their houses”, water pipes abandoned and littered around at some places are some of the damning observations in the report by a J&K assembly committee that was formed to probe alleged irregularities in the implementation of the Rs 13,000-crore Jal Jeevan Mission scheme in the union territory announced by PM Modi on Aug 15, 2019, with a target of completing it by 2024.The 13-member committee, formed on April 9, 2024, following widespread allegations of irregularities in the implementation of the scheme, tabled its report in the J&K House on Monday.As per the report, overall target achievement of work execution across the union territory was still 37.28 percent.Most of the JJM schemes in Udhampur are “classic examples of good paper work, contrary to field work and ground situation,” it said.

“Most of the schemes in Poonch exist on papers.”The report also said that there is no credible record at least produced before the House committee as regards details of water pipes procured, utilized, and left unutilized. “During on-spot visits by the committee water pipes were found abandoned and littered around.”It also said Panchayati Raj institutions were excluded from implementation of the scheme.The JJM scheme aims to provide potable drinking water in taps to all rural homes by 2024.

Around 3,253 water supply schemes have been sanctioned in J&K at a cost of about Rs 13,000 crore.JJM is a 90:10 funding scheme between the Centre and the J&K govt.Officials of the Jal Shakti department said implementation was delayed in J&K as little progress could be made in the initial months following the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. They said the administrative transition took about five months, followed by the COVID-19 pandemic, further delaying implementation.

The department told the committee that the model and methods used to implement the JJM in the rest of the country could not be replicated in J&K due to its “difficult geography, limited road connectivity and lack of locally available skilled manpower.” It said the tendering process began picking up pace only after 2022.Ajaz Ahmad Jan, one of the committee members, said despite huge investment, a majority of rural households, especially in Rajouri and Poonch, are still facing hardships in fetching safe drinking water and there has been no benefit of the scheme.