New Delhi (PTI): The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the extension of Jal Jeevan Mission up to December 2028 with an enhanced outlay of Rs 8.7 lakh crore, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said.

The project was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2019 to provide safe and adequate drinking water through tap connections to all households in rural India.

"The Cabinet approved the Ministry of Jal Shakti's proposal to restructure and reorient the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) from infrastructure creation to service delivery, supported by drinking water governance and institutional ecosystem for sustainable rural piped potable water supply," the minister said at a press conference.

For restructuring JJM, focusing on structural reforms, the Cabinet has approved an enhancement of the total outlay to Rs. 8.69 lakh crore, with a total central assistance of Rs. 3.59 lakh crore as against from Rs. 2.08 lakh crore approved in 2019-20.

A uniform national digital framework called "Sujalam Bharat" shall be instituted, under which every village shall be assigned a unique Sujal Gaon or Service Area ID, digitally mapping the complete drinking water supply system from source to tap.

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Thrissur (Kerala) (PTI): One more person who had been hospitalised following the Mundathikode fireworks explosion died at Thrissur Medical College on Sunday, police said.

With this, the death toll in the incident has risen to 16.

According to Thrissur Medical College police, the deceased has been identified as Unnikrishnan from Edappal, who was among the 38 persons present at the fireworks manufacturing unit in Mundathikode where the explosions occurred on April 21.

Police said Unnikrishnan had suffered over 80 per cent burns and had remained in critical condition.

The condition of the two other injured persons remains critical, police said.

Of the 38 persons present at the site, 16 have died, while four remain missing.

The fireworks were being manufactured for Thiruvambady Devaswom as part of the Thrissur Pooram festivities.

The licensee of the unit had also suffered burn injuries and had died earlier.