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Relevance: GS-2: Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections of the population by the Centre and States and the Performance of these Schemes

Key Phrases: Jal Jeevan Mission, tap water connections, Ministry of Jal Shakti, greywater management, drinking water source augmentation, Field test Kits (FTKs), Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/ Pani Samiti, Hydro-geo morphological (HGM) maps.

Why in News?

With 9.79 crore household tap water connections, the flagship Jal Jeevan Mission scheme -- to take tap water to every home -- of the Ministry of Jal Shakti has crossed the 50 percent mark.

What is Jal Jeevan Mission?

It was launched in 2019 to provide a functional household tap connection to every household with a service level at the rate of 55 litres per capita per day (lpcd).
The mission ensures the functionality of existing water supply systems and water connections; water quality monitoring and testing as well as sustainable agriculture.
It also ensures conjunctive use of conserved water; drinking water source augmentation, drinking water supply system, grey water treatment, and its reuse.
Funding Pattern: The fund sharing pattern between the Centre and states is:
- 90:10 for Himalayan and North-Eastern States
- 50:50 for other states
- 100% for Union Territories.

Key Components of the Jal Jeevan Program:

Piped water supply for rural households:
- The program aims to provide in-village piped water supply infrastructure to each rural household.
- This will help reduce the time and energy rural women spend on getting water for day-to-day use, which will help create opportunities for women in the sense that women will be able to dedicate more time to productive activities like education and work.
Focus on reliable water sources:
- Jal Jeevan mission aims to develop an expansion of existing water sources to provide long-term water sustainability in the country.
- This also reduces the stress on traditional water sources and helps India to tackle the impending climate crisis.
- The program also takes steps toward greywater management.
Improve network:
- India's Jal Jeevan mission aims to improve the distribution network to serve every rural household and provide bulk water transfer and treatment plants wherever necessary.
- This will also help to address water scarcity issues.
Water quality and testing
- The mission aims to reduce water contamination and address the issue with the help of technology.
- The program also aims to support activities like water testing facilities, research and development, and knowledge centres.
- Five women in each village are being trained to test water samples for any kind of contamination by using Field test Kits (FTKs).
- The FTK helps to test the water on nine parameters viz; pH, alkalinity, chloride, nitrate, total hardness, fluoride, iron, residual free chlorine, and H2S.

How is it different from earlier programs?

In a paradigm shift from earlier water supply programs, Jal Jeevan Mission focuses on water service delivery and not just building water supply infrastructure.
The motto of the Jal Jeevan Mission is ‘no one is left out, thus ensuring every household irrespective of its socio-economic status, gets tap water supply.
Jal Jeevan Mission strives for the freedom of mothers and sisters from centuries-old drudgery of fetching water for the household and improving their health, education, and socio-economic condition.
The Mission is bringing ‘ease of living and adding pride and dignity to rural families.

Bottom-up approach:

Jal Jeevan Mission is a ‘bottom-up’ approach where the community plays a vital role from planning to implementation, management, operation, and maintenance.
To achieve this, Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/ Pani Samiti are being constituted and strengthened; Village Action Plan is developed through community engagement; Implementation Support Agencie (ISAs) are engaged to support village communities in program implementation and create awareness among people.

How does a village certify as Har Ghar Jal?

The mission is very strongly focused on Jan bhagidari, or community engagement which is seen as a very important pillar of the project.
Once the scheme is completed, the panchayat needs to certify the completion.
The Gram Sabha meeting needs to discuss the progress of the project and if it is completed, they need to pass a resolution depicting full effect.
Only after the formal resolution by the gram panchayat, with a video recording of the session which has to be uploaded on the portal, can they be counted as a village with Har Ghar Jal.

Transparency and Accountability:

Jal Jeevan Mission leverages the use of technology to ensure transparency, accountability, proper utilization of funds, and service delivery.
Every water supply asset created under Jal Jeevan Mission is geo-tagged.
Hydro-geo morphological (HGM) maps are used in planning a single village scheme to identify drinking water sources and construct aquifer recharge structures.
Household tap connections provided by JJM are linked with the Aadhar number of the head of the household and more importantly all financial transactions are undertaken through Public Finance Management System (PFMS).

Which are the best-performing states?

In Goa, Haryana, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Dadar & Nagar Haveli, and Daman & Diu, every rural household has a tap water supply.
But there is substantial progress in Punjab, Gujarat, and Bihar, which, although they started a year late, have progressed quickly in providing tap water supplies to rural households and are on the verge of becoming ‘Har Ghar Jal’ in 2022.

Way forward:

Jal Jeevan mission program deals with the day-to-day problems every rural India faces and provides a permanent solution for it.
This program would also reduce stress among rural women and provide them with different headspace to develop skills and be a part of the Indian labour force.
By 2024, India is expected to meet its 100% Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) goal.
This focus on increasing India's water capacity and improving infrastructure, accessibility and tech inclusion will make this program the most effective and sustainable solution for India's water problems.

Source: Live Mint

Mains Question:

Q. The goal of Jal Jeevan Mission is more than providing a functional household tap connection. Discuss in light of its effect on rural India in general and the Indian women in particular.