By: Sajidah Yousuf
Srinagar: In Jammu and Kashmir, only 53 percent population of rural areas are getting safe and adequate drinking water through pipe water supply, reveals NITI Aayog Sustainable Development Goal index 2021.
According to the figures of NITI Aayog accessed by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), “52.87 percent of the rural population in Jammu and Kashmir is getting safe and adequate drinking water within premises through pipe water supply.”
It states that the Jal Jeevan Mission was aimed to provide piped water supply to the entire rural population by 2024.
Besides, the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory has performed better than states in Sustainable Development Goal India Index 2020-21 (SDG) for clean water and sanitation.
The data revealed in NITI Aayog’s Sustainable Development Goal India Index 2020-21 which was released earlier this week shows that 99.89% rural population in JK have improved sources of drinking water.
It also states that Jammu and Kashmir has scored 88 points in the index leaving behind the states in line which include Punjab, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Odhisa and others.
As per the SDG goals of clean water and sanitization, 100 percent of individual household toilets have been constructed against target Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin (SBM (G)).
The data reveals that in Jammu and Kashmir, industries complying with waste water treatment as per CPCB norms stand at 97.31.
The NITI Aayog report also states that the indicators have been selected based on the availability of data at the sub-national level and to ensure comparability across States and UT’s.
Pertinent to mention that the SDG Index Score for Goal ranges between 54 and 100 for States and between 61 and 100 for UT’s—(KNO)