Factsheet Details:

Jal Jeevan Mission- Har GharJal (Reforms in Rural Drinking Water Supply)

Posted On: 03 NOV 2021 15:43 PM

Introduction:

In 2019, out of about 18.93 Crore families in rural areas, about 3.23 Crore (17%) rural families had tap water connections in their homes. Thus, 15.70 Crore families were fetching water from a drinking water source outside their homes.

Jal Jeevan Mission: Har GharJal was announced by Prime Minister Shri NarendraModi on 15th August, 2019, with an aim to ensure piped water supply to every rural home by 2024.Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)– HarGharJal, is a decentralized, demand-driven community-managed water supply programme that seeks to empower local village community, which means local village community is to play a central role in the planning, implementation, management, operation and maintenance of their own in-village water supply system.

Based on Hon’ble Prime Minister’s emphasis on ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas’, JJM adopted the principle of ‘equity and inclusion’, i.e. ensuring no one is left out from getting tap water connection and regular water supply in the village, especially weaker and marginalised sections.

(For more details: Operational Guidelines for the implementation of JalJeevan Mission – HarGharJal, December 2019)

Reforms under JalJeevan Mission:

Shift of focus for water supply from ‘habitations to households’

Provision of tap water is being made in every rural home so that every family gets potable water in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality on regular and long-term basis.

Focus on ‘service delivery’ & ‘functionality’–public utility

Focus shifted to assured supply of potable water to every home rather than mere creation of water supply infrastructure.
The mission has undertaken massive training and skilling programme to build the capacity of local village community including masons, plumbers, pump operators, etc.as well as of public health engineers so that they are able to ensure service delivery
Public Health Engineering Department and Gram Panchayats and/or its sub-committeesare to play the role of public utility
Community ownership to ensure ‘long-term sustainability’ of water supply schemes
A water supply scheme is planned and implemented by following decentralized, demand-driven, community-managed approach.
Local village community owns water supply system as well as operates &maintains it on a long-term basis
Water supply systems thus created are expected to last its full design period, public investment is not wasted, and people get safe piped water supply in their homes on long-term basis.

Central role of women and weaker sections in managing water supply

Minimum50% members of Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/ PaniSamitis are to be women and proportionate representation of weaker sections of society.

(Note on ‘All Women’s PaniSamitis’)

Special focus on children: piped water supply in schools, anganwadicentres and ashramshalas

To prevent water-borne diseases among infants/children provision of piped water supply in schools, anganwadi centres and ashramshalas is to be made on priority under the JJM

Potable drinking water in quality-affected habitations

Villages/ habitations having water quality problems have been given priority under JalJeevan Mission
Surveillance of water quality by the local community involving women
At least five persons in every village, preferably women, are to be trained in using Field Test Kits for testing of water quality at village level
Drinking water quality testing laboratories in various States/ UTs have been opened to general public so that they can ascertain the quality of their drinking water samples on paying nominal charges
Convergence for long-term drinking water security
Every village is to prepare a Village Action Plan (VAP) focusing on drinking water sources, water supply systems, grey water reuse and operation & maintenance of these systems

Making water everyone’s business

JJM is implemented in a participatory manner and Self-Help Groups(SHGs), NGOs, community-based organizations, voluntary organizations etc. are to play a major role in raising awareness, community mobilization and handholding.
Technological interventions for transparency and accountability
A robust JJM–IMIS to capture physical and financial progress under JJM, in real-time and a dedicated ‘Dashboard’ in the public domain;
A dedicated ‘Mobile App’ developed for use of all stakeholders
Sensor-based IoT solution for measurement and monitoring water supply for quantity, quality and regularity in villages on real time basis
Provision of geo-tagging every asset created under JJM;
Linkage of tap connection with Aadhar number of the ‘head of household’;
All transaction through Public Finance Management System (PFMS);
A comprehensive portal developed for Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance.

(Note: PIB Press Release on ‘Big Move to Digitalise Water Supply Infrastructure in Rural India’, 16^th May 2021)

Performance grant as incentive to States/ UTs

Every year, nation-wide functionality assessment survey is carried out in each district by a third-party agency.
Based on performance of States/ UTs, inter alia which includes high functionality of tap water connections, incentive grant is provided.

Transforming Rural India – Progress of tap water connections:

Progressive coverage-Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) as on 2^ndNovember 2021:

Year	FHTC Coverage (in lakhs)
15^th Aug 2019	323.6
2^nd Nov 2021	844.1

Har GharJal (100 % HHs with tap water connections)

Progress in making provision of tap water supply to households in Aspirational Districts as on 2^nd November 2021

Status of Tap water supply in schools/ AnganwadiCentres (AWCs) / Gram Panchayats (GPs) / Community Health Centres (CHCs) etc. as on 2^nd November 2021

4. Community participation: key to ‘Har GharJal’

Sensor based IoT system to measure and monitor water supply in villages
The data from 11 pilot locations about the daily water supply in quantity and regularity are shown on Jal Jeevan, Mission IMIS dashboard:https://ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/JJMIndia.aspx

5. Rejuvenation of Traditional Water Sources and Water Conservation: Success Stories

Water Warrior of Bundelkhand: Swami Krishnananddesilted 250 years old pond for
rain water harvesting, alone. After his two-year long efforts, the pond of 2.7 acres, is now 8 ft deep, filled with water throughout the year.
The villagers of Jakhni village in Banda district have revived their six ponds, 30 wells and also replenished their ground water table by adopting traditional method of water conservation.

Sources: