Jal Jeevan Mission

JAL JEEVAN MISSION

Context :

• In a Lok Sabha discussion on the Jal Shakti Ministry’s budget, opposition members raised concerns about gaps in the implementation of drinking water schemes and water contamination in several regions.
• They also criticized the underutilization of funds and questioned the actual success of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• On the other hand, BJP and NDA members praised the government’s efforts in providing piped water to remote areas, while questioning why opposition-ruled states like Jharkhand, Kerala, and West Bengal were falling behind in delivering clean drinking water to rural households.

WHAT IS THE JAL JEEVAN MISSION?

• Launched: August 2019
• Objective: Provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to every rural household by 2024, ensuring 55 liters per capita per day (lpcd) of potable water.
• Revised Deadline: The timeline has been extended to 2028 in the Union Budget 2023-24.

KEY FEATURES OF JJM

• Coverage: Initially for rural areas, later extended to urban areas under AMRUT 2.0.
• Service Delivery Approach: Focus on quantity, quality, regularity, and sustainability of water supply.
• Community Participation: Empowerment of Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), Gram Panchayats, and user groups for planning and monitoring.
• Bottom-Up Planning: Preparation of Village Action Plans (VAPs).
• Water Quality: Emphasis on NABL-accredited labs and water testing; creation of 6,000 water testing labs.
• Convergence: Works with schemes like MGNREGA, SBM, and PMKSY for source sustainability.
• Technology Use: Integration of IoT, SCADA, GIS mapping, and real-time dashboards for monitoring and control.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF JJM

• Expansion of Tap Water Coverage:
  • From 16.8% of households (3.23 crore) in 2019 to 79.74% (15.44 crore) by February 2025.
  • Coverage of around 67% of the 19.4 crore households in India.
• Budgetary Commitment:
  • ₹67,000 crore allocated in the Union Budget 2024–25.
  • Over ₹3.6 lakh crore spent since inception.
• State-Specific Successes:
  • Eight states and three UTs have achieved 100% FHTC coverage.
  • Karnataka (38.3%) and Maharashtra (46.6%) have made significant progress.
  • Gujarat and Haryana serve as models of effective implementation.
• Transparency and Monitoring:
  • JJM Dashboard enables real-time monitoring and transparency.
  • 3 lakh villages have achieved 100% coverage.
• Safe Drinking Water:
  • Infrastructure aligned with BIS:10500 standards for clean water.
  • NABL-accredited labs and Community Water Purification Plants (CWPPs) in areas affected by arsenic and fluoride.
• Focus on Source Sustainability:
  • Mandates for rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, and aquifer recharge.
  • Kerala leverages private traditional wells effectively for sustainability.
• Employment Generation:
  • Approximately 60 lakh direct jobs and 2.2 crore indirect jobs in the capital expenditure phase.
  • 13.3 lakh direct jobs expected in the O&M phase, boosting rural livelihoods.
• Alignment with SDGs:
  • Directly contributes to SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) and indirectly supports SDG 3 (Health) and SDG 5 (Gender Equality).

IMPACTS OF JAL JEEVAN MISSION

• Health and Human Development:
  • Access to safe water can reduce under-5 child mortality by 30%.
  • Helps reduce waterborne diseases and improves public health.
• Gender Empowerment:
  • Reduces the water collection burden on women and girls, freeing up time for education and employment.
  • Initiatives like Dhamtari’s Jal Jagar campaign engaged 80,000 women.
• Community-Led Governance:
  • 50% of Gram Panchayats prepare Village Action Plans, promoting local ownership and accountability.
• Ecological and Scientific Water Management:
  • NAQUIM mapped 25 lakh sq. km of aquifers; Bhu-Neer Portal aids real-time groundwater monitoring.
• Localized Innovations:
  • Gujarat created 24,800 rainwater harvesting structures; Meghalaya rejuvenated springs; Varanasi developed a Smart Lab for river health.
• Employment Generation:
  • The mission creates jobs in plumbing, masonry, labs, and monitoring
• Behavioral Change:
  • Awareness campaigns on water use, conservation, and greywater reuse have improved water literacy.
• Water as a Right:
  • JJM has made water a public right, contributing to SDG 6 and supporting progress on health, gender, and education goals.

CHALLENGES FACING JJM

• Slowing Progress:
  • FHTC coverage has slowed recently due to logistical, infrastructural, and terrain-related challenges in difficult geographies.
• Regional Disparities:
  • States like Assam (3.7%) and Kerala (20%) lag behind the national average, highlighting gaps in infrastructure and implementation, especially in aspirational and remote blocks.
• Sustainability and Over-Extraction:
  • Over-reliance on groundwater without adequate recharge threatens the sustainability of water sources, particularly in water-scarce regions.
• Water Quality Issues:
  • Many areas still face contamination from fluoride, arsenic, and iron, with weak monitoring and quality assurance in rural pockets.
  • Neglect of Traditional Water Sources:
• The focus on FHTCs risks marginalizing traditional water sources, like dug wells and rainwater harvesting systems, which remain effective in certain regions (e.g., Kerala).
• Infrastructure and O&M Deficits:
  • Difficult geographies, particularly hilly and tribal areas, face challenges in building and maintaining infrastructure.
  • Weak Operation & Maintenance (O&M) systems risk long-term service reliability.
• Data Discrepancies:
  • Data mismatches between JJM, Census, NFHS, and NSS complicate assessments, affecting transparency and effective intervention.

WAY FORWARD

• Strengthen Operation & Maintenance (O&M):
  • Training local youth and women to manage water supply systems, inspired by models like Kudumbashree in Kerala.
• Promote Water-Secure Villages:
  • Integrating rainwater harvesting and source sustainability efforts, in collaboration with MGNREGS and Atal Bhujal Yojana.
• Adopt Smart Monitoring Tools:
  • Use of IoT and AI for leak detection and quality control, inspired by Singapore’s Smart Water Grid.
• Leverage Traditional Water Wisdom:
  • Revive indigenous systems like Johads and Zabo, integrating modern technology for sustainable water management.
• Enhance Greywater Management:
  • Promote decentralized greywater reuse, inspired by Germany’s DEWATS systems, especially in water-scarce
• Institutionalize Behavioral Change:
  • Build water literacy through village-level campaigns and school-based programs, similar to Australia’s Waterwise Schools Program.

CONCLUSION

While the Jal Jeevan Mission has made significant progress in improving rural access to clean water, it faces several challenges, such as regional disparities, sustainability issues, and infrastructure deficits. By integrating traditional water systems, improving monitoring mechanisms, and fostering community participation, the mission can achieve its goal of Har Ghar Jal while ensuring the sustainable management of India’s water resources.

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