Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on 8 October 2020 inaugurated the Jalajeevan Mission project to provide drinking water connection to 49.65 lakh rural households in the state by 2024.
The process of providing 16.48 lakh drinking water connections in the state's rural areas will start soon.
In addition to the project providing domestic connections, 69 drinking water projects worth Rs 4,351 crore are being realised in the state through funding from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Board (KIIFB).
Administrative sanction has been accorded to projects worth Rs 4,343.89 crore in 716 panchayats through the Jalajeevan Mission in Phase-I.
As many as 564 projects will be implemented during Phase-I.
Domestic connections are provided by increasing the capacity of the existing freshwater projects, extending some projects and strengthening the source of some.
Phase-II of the project aims at providing drinking water connectivity to all households in 586 villages, 380 panchayats and 23 block panchayats.
The Kerala Water Authority and Jalanidhi are the implementing agencies for the project. The scheme is being implemented by utilising Central assistance by forming committees from panchayat level to state-level.
The Jalajeevan Mission project will provide drinking water connection to 21.42 lakh households in 2020-21.
Coastal protection projects worth Rs 239.74 crore were started in the state on 7 October 2020.
Also, a project worth Rs 360 crore is being implemented with the assistance of the World Bank for rehabilitation and improvement of dams.