In the 2024-25 Union Budget, the Department of Water Resources, River Development, and Ganga Rejuvenation has received a substantial increase in allocation, reaching Rs 30,233.83 crore, a 55 per cent rise from the previous year.
This surge primarily targets major irrigation projects and the Namami Gange Mission-II. Key highlights include a comprehensive Rs 11,500 crore plan for flood control and irrigation projects across states, including the Kosi-Mechi intra-state link and initiatives for river pollution abatement.
Also, significant funds have been earmarked for projects like the Farakka Barrage and Dam Rehabilitation, alongside boosting efforts under the National Ganga Plan and water resource management schemes such as the Atal Bhujal Yojana and National Hydrology Project.
However, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has received a dismal budgetary allocation of Rs 77,390.68 crores for the fiscal year 2024-2025, a mere 0.5 per cent rise from the revised estimate of Rs 77,032.65 crore announced in the budget 2023-2024. A substantial portion of this financial year’s allotment for the Drinking Water and Sanitation department is directed towards the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), which received Rs 69,926.65 crore, a marginal rise from the revised estimate of Rs 69,846.31 crore in 2023-2024.
This flagship programme aims to provide functional household tap connections to every rural household by 2024, focusing on ensuring regular and adequate water supply. Additionally, the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS) has been allocated Rs 95 crore, a huge rise from the Rs 3 crore it got in the last revised estimate.
The Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), which focuses on maintaining Open Defecation Free (ODF) status and enhancing waste management in rural areas, has been allocated Rs 7,192 crore. This allocation remains consistent with the budget for the previous fiscal year and continues to support sanitation efforts nationwide.
The budget also includes significant funding for water supply and sanitation at Rs 64,302.85 crore, an increase from the previous year’s Rs 64,138.41 crore. Additional allocations include Rs 7,632.19 crore for Northeast India, aimed at improving water and sanitation facilities in these regions. Grants-in-aid to state governments have been set at Rs 5,169.86 crore, while grants to Union Territories are allocated at Rs 250 crore.
