CAG flags lapses in implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Gujarat

Gandhinagar, Sep 11 (PTI) The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) exposed severe flaws in the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission in Gujarat, flagging project delays, financial irregularities, and gaps in water quality testing across the state.

Tabled on the final day of the state assembly’s monsoon session on Friday, the CAG report found that nearly 89 per cent of water samples tested in select villages were unfit for consumption, while incorrect calculations and inadmissible spending resulted in excess contractor payments running into crores.

The audit report covered the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission from 2019-20 to 2023-24.

On the financial management front, the CAG found that Rs 28.79 crore was spent on staff quarters and

office buildings, which was inadmissible under the scheme guidelines.

The audit found that incorrect application of the Wholesale Price Index (WPI) by Gujarat Water Infrastructure Limited (GWIL) and the Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board (GWSSB) resulted in excess payments of Rs 54.32 crore to contractors.

An incorrect GST rate led to another Rs 18.65 crore in excess payments, it stated.

The CAG also noted that five of the 11 bulk pipeline projects undertaken by GWIL were completed with delays ranging from eight to 25 months, while five of the six remaining projects were behind schedule by three to 14 months as of December 2024.

It pointed out that some completed schemes in Umreth, Bharuch and Patan remained non-functional because connections between sumps and elevated service reservoirs had not been made.

Moreover, 248 in-village water supply schemes in the test-checked districts were executed without Village Action Plans or Gram Sabha resolutions.

In four of the six test-checked districts, 71,842 households, or 14.84 per cent, remained without functional household tap connections as of November 2024, the report stated.

The CAG also raised concerns over the actual quantity of water supplied.

During physical verification of 48 villages, 29 received more than the prescribed 55 litres per capita per day, 14 received between 40 and 55 litres, one received less than 40 litres, and four had no water supply.

Water quality also emerged as a major concern. Of 88 samples collected from the 48 test-checked villages, 78 or 88.64 per cent were found unfit when assessed against the acceptable limits.

The audit found that laboratory infrastructure and manpower were inadequate, as only 46 of Gujarat’s 249 talukas had laboratories.

The state-level laboratory could test only 30 of the 73 prescribed parameters, while equipment availability in 15 test-checked laboratories was just 61.70 per cent.

Required pre- and post-monsoon testing was also not conducted regularly in most test-checked laboratories, the audit report said, adding that 26 per cent of samples were found unfit in pre-monsoon testing and 24 per cent in post-monsoon testing.

At the community level, the audit found that records were not maintained for the use of 25,000 water-quality field testing kits worth Rs 1.74 crore supplied to village panchayats between 2021 and 2023, making it impossible to ascertain whether the kits were actually used.

The CAG also pointed to weaknesses in the long-term sustainability of schemes.

In 48 test-checked villages, 27,973 households had been provided functional tap connections, but 4,777 households never paid user charges and another 7,936 made only partial payments.

In 11 villages, the amount collected was insufficient even to cover the remuneration of pump operators and electricians.

Among its key recommendations, the CAG asked the state to ensure timely completion of GWIL and GWSSB projects, standardise application of WPI and GST rates, and ensure that all households regularly receive at least 55 litres per capita per day of safe drinking water.

It also recommended establishing laboratories in all talukas and improving sample testing.

The CAG further recommended training more barefoot mechanics, ensuring 100 per cent geo-tagging of water sources and strengthening measures for the long-term operation and maintenance of water supply schemes.

As of September 2024, only 10,817 of the state’s 39,468 water sources, or 27.40 per cent, had been geo-tagged.

The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in 2019 to provide functional tap connections to rural households in India.

In Gujarat, 65.16 lakh of the state’s estimated 91.18 lakh rural households, or 71.46 per cent, already had functional tap connections when the mission began, the report said.

Under the mission, a functional connection is one that provides at least 55 litres per capita per day, meeting BIS water quality standards and ensuring continuous long-term supply. PTI PJT PD ARU