Union Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi accords top priority to make provision of tap water connection in every rural household across the country. With a focus to expedite the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission in Maharashtra, the Government of India released 1,666.64 Crore to the State. Central fund of ₹7,064.41 Crore has been allocated to the State for 2021-22 for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission, which is nearly four times the allocation for 2020-21.

There are 142.36 lakh rural households in the State, out of which 96.46 lakh households (67.76%) have tap water connection. In 2021-22, the State plans to provide tap water connections to 27.45 lakh households.

Top priority is accorded by the Union Government to Jal Jeevan Mission as evidenced by the massive increase in budgetary allocation to Rs. 92,309 Crore in 2021-22, from Rs. 23,022 Crore in the preceding year.

Further in 2021-22, Rs 2,584 Crore is allocated to Maharashtra as 15th Finance Commission grant for water & sanitation to Rural Local Bodies/ PRIs and there is an assured funding of Rs 13,628 Crore for the next five years i.e. up to 2025-26 to the rural local bodies.

Jal Jeevan Mission is implemented in a decentralized manner following the ‘bottom-up’ approach, wherein the local village community plays a key role starting from planning to implementation and from management to operation & maintenance. For this, the State undertakes activities like strengthening the Pani Samiti and developing Village Action Plan as well as approving the same in the Gram Sabha, wherein the community deliberates on water supply schemes to be implemented for them. The programme encourages participation by women in these discussions as they are the primary water managers in any household. Implementing Support Agencies (ISAs) are engaged by the department to create awareness in public about the mission, sensitize them about importance of safe water, engage with the community and extend support to the Panchayati Raj institution for implementation of the programme. 

Maharashtra has planned to build the capacity of 2.74 lakh stakeholders which includes government officials, ISAs, engineers, village water and sanitation committee, surveillance committee and Panchayat members. Nearly 4.15 lakh people in the State will be trained under skill training programme. Skilling of local people will be ensured to work as mason, plumber, fitter, electrician and pump operator. Such initiative of providing employment in the villages under skilled and semi-skilled sections will provide income generating opportunities in villages.

With focus on public health, more than 2,000 water quality testing laboratories in the country have been opened to general public so that they can get their water samples tested whenever they so desire at a nominal cost. Maharashtra has 177 water testing laboratories.

Efforts are made to ensure tap water availability for drinking, cooking mid-day meal, washing hands and usage in toilets in all schools and anganwadi centres. As on date, 72,032 schools (84%) and 73,377 (80%) AWCs in Maharashtra have been provided with tap water supply.

At the start of the mission in 2019, out of a total of 19.20 Crore rural households in the country, only 3.23 Crore (17%) had tap water supply. Despite challenges faced due to COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns, over 5.38 Crore (28%) households have been provided with tap water supply since the launch of the mission. Presently, 8.61 Crore (45%) rural households receive potable water through household taps. Goa, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Puducherry and Haryana have become ‘Har Ghar Jal’ State/ UT i.e. 100% coverage of tap connections in rural households. Maharashtra aims to become ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state by 2024. Following the principle of Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayas’, the motto of the mission is that ‘no one is left out’ and every rural household is provided with tap water connection. At present, every household in 83 districts and more than 1.26 lakh villages are receiving tap water supply

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BY/AS