Good News! Modi Government Approves Rs. 1,280 Crore for Implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission

Jal Jeevan Mission: Madhya Pradesh presented the Annual Action Plan for 2020-21 for consideration and approval of National Committee chaired by Secretary, Drinking Water & Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti. Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) implemented by Ministry of Jal Shakti in partnership with States aims to give adequate drinking water of prescribed quality on regular & long-term basis to every rural household of the country by 2024. This Mission focuses on ‘service delivery’, not on infrastructure creation.

Objectives of Jal Jeevan Mission

The Mission was announced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his last Independence Day speech. Its objective is to bring improvement in lives of rural people and to reduce the drudgery of rural women especially girls, this Mission expects to bring reforms in drinking water sector. A budget of whopping Rs 3.60 lakh Crore has been allocated for this transformational programme.

Government of India approved Rs 1,280 Crore for implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in the State in 2020-21. With an amount of Rs 244.95 Crore as unspent balance and this year's Central allocation and matching State share, Rs 3,093 Crore will be available with the State this year.

Under this life changing Mission, Madhya Pradesh has planned to have 100% Functional Household Tap Water Connection (FHTC) by 2023-24. Out of 1.21 Crore rural households in the State, 13.52 lakh households are already provided with tap connections. The State plans to provide tap connections to 26.27 lakh households in rural areas in 2020-21. While planning for universal coverage of households, priority is given to water scarce areas, quality-affected areas, SC/ ST dominated habitations/ villages, aspirational districts and Sansad Adarsh Gramin Yojana villages, particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups.

Potable water supply to water quality-affected habitations is a top priority under JJM and the State intends to provide potable water in 395 such habitations by making provision of household tap connections and community water purification plants.

Following true spirit of 73rd Amendment of the Constitution, under JJM, local village community/ Gram Panchayats and/or user groups are being involved in planning, implementation, management, operation and maintenance of water supply systems in villages to ensure long-term sustainability to achieve drinking water security. In all villages, IEC campaign along with community mobilization is to be taken up to make Jal Jeevan Mission truly a people’s movement. Voluntary organisations, self-help groups are roped in for community mobilization for their active participation in planning, implementation as well as operation & maintenance of water supply schemes meant for them.

Under Jal Jeevan Mission, emphasis is being given on water quality surveillance through active participation of frontline functionaries as well as involving the community i.e. in every village, 5 persons especially women are being trained. School and college students are being encouraged to use the Field Test Kits to test the quality of water being provided in the rural areas. Every source needs to be tested once every year for physical and chemical parameters and twice for bacteriological contamination.

In every Gram Panchayat, GP or their sub-committee i.e. Village Water & Sanitation Committee or Paani Samitis have been constituted for planning at village level. Based on Village Action Plans of villages, the Annual Action Plan for the State has been finalized. State is ensuring convergence of funds from various sources like MGNREGS, 15th Finance Commission Grants to rural local bodies, SBM, CAMPA, District Mineral Development Fund, Local Area Development Fund, etc. for taking up works related to strengthening of water resources, aquifer recharge, grey water management, etc.

It’s the endeavour of the Government to provide tap connections in rural households on priority basis during prevailing CoVid-19 pandemic situation, so that rural people don’t have to go through the hardship of fetching water from public stand-posts and standing in long queue. Government intends that the poor and marginalized sections of the society get water through tap connections inside their house premises and avoid going to standposts and ensuring social distancing, thereby keeping the rural communities safe from being infected.

With summer in full swing, monsoons fast approaching, and country grappling with COVID-19 pandemic, it has become more imperative to provide livelihood to the migrant workers who have returned to their native villages. These migrants are basically skilled and semi-skilled ones, whose services could be effectively utilized in villages by providing jobs related to water supply especially plumbing, fitting, water conservation works, etc. in every village to ensure sufficient ground water availability leading to water security, water availability for agriculture and most importantly will help in provision of drinking water to every rural household.

Credit: PIB