Centre clears rural water supply, sanitation project

New Delhi: The Centre today approved the implementation of Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project for Low Income States (RWSSP-LIS) of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh with World Bank assistance over a period of six years. The project, cleared by Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, is expected to directly benefit a rural population of about 78 lakh persons including 44 lakh Scheduled Castes and more than eight lakh Scheduled Tribes, with improved piped water supply covering approximately 17,400 habitations in 2,150 Gram Panchayats in 33 districts. [caption id=“attachment_1320113” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Water project. Reuters[/caption] The project, commencing this financial year, will be completed in 2019-20. According to officials, the project will be implemented in seven districts of Assam—Hailakandi, Kamrup, Jorhat, Morigaon, Bongaigaon, Sonitpur and Sibsagar—with an estimated population coverage of about 14 lakh. Ten districts of Bihar–Patna, Begusarai, Munger, Muzzafarpur, West Champaran, Nalanda, Nawada, Saran, Purnia and Banka with an estimated population coverage of about 24 lakh will get the benefit of the programme. In Jharkhand, six districts—East Singhbum, Dumka, Garwah, Palamu, Saraikela-Kharsawan and Khunti—with an estimated population coverage of about 12 lakh have been selected for implementing the programme. Ten Eastern Uttar Pradesh districts—Gorakhpur, Kushi Nagar, Deoria, Basti, Ghazipur, Ballia, Allahabad, Sonbhadra, Bahraich and Gonda—with an estimated population coverage of about 28 lakh will also be benefited, according to the government. It said the project will improve access and usage of piped drinking water supplied into individual homes. “Women and children will benefit significantly from project intervention as they currently bear most of the burden of securing daily water supplies,” the government said. PTI