Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to advance the target of achieving 100% Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) under ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ (JJM) by December 2021 instead the nation-wide target of year 2024.The Mission aims to achieve every rural household of J&K to have drinking water supply in prescribed quantity and quality on regular and long-term basis at affordable service delivery charges leading to improvement in living standards of rural communities.In this regard Jammu and Kashmir Jal Shakti Department will develop in-village piped water supply infrastructure to provide tap water connection to every rural household. Besides ensuring development of reliable drinking water sources and to undertake augmentation of existing sources to provide long-term sustainability of water supply system.Wherever necessary, the department would ensure bulk water transfer, treatment plants and distribution network to cater to every rural household.To ensure potable drinking water to rural households, technological interventions would be implemented for removal of contaminants and other impurities from the water.The department would also ensure support activities, i.e. IEC, HRD, training, development of utilities, water quality laboratories, water quality testing and surveillance, R&D, knowledge centre, capacity building of communities, etc to meet any unforeseen challenges emerging due to natural disasters and calamities.Under the Jal Shakti Mission all the 10.65 lakh unconnected rural households shall be provided with Functional Household Tap Connections by 2021 in three phases.Under phase-I, 281858 connections in Srinagar, Ganderbal, Pulwama, Shopian, Reasi, Samba and Poonch districts shall be covered. While as in Phase-II, seven districts namely Doda, Udhampur, Kathua, Jammu, Bandipore, Kulgam, and Budgam covering 466404 connections will commence from June 2021.The third phase which will begin by December 2021 would achieve a target of 317634 connections in the districts of Anantnag, Kupwara, Baramulla, Ramban, Kishtwar and Rajouri.It is worth to mention that in the year 2019-20 the department has provided more than 1 lakh Functional Household Tap connections across Jammu and Kashmir.The Department would ensure availability of assured supply of minimum 55 LPCD of clean drinking water meeting BIS 10500 Standards to all rural households.Pertinently the department also held a one day Manufacturers & Service Providers Conference under the aegis of JJM in the month of February at Jammu with sole objective of technology optimization for effective implementation of JJM across J&K and sharing latest developments in this regard.