A Milestone in India’s Rural Water Revolution: Jal Jeevan Mission

Key Achievements:

As of August 12, 2024, 11.82 crore additional rural households have been connected to tap water under the JJM, bringing the total to 15.07 crore households (77.98% of rural households).
This milestone significantly impacts rural populations by ensuring consistent access to potable water.

Objectives of the Jal Jeevan Mission

1. Provide tap water connections to every rural household.
2. Prioritize areas affected by poor water quality, drought, deserts, and villages under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana (SAGY).
3. Provide tap water to essential public facilities, including schools, Anganwadi centres, health centres, and community buildings.
4. Monitor the functionality of tap connections to ensure consistent supply.
5. Encourage community participation (through cash, kind, or labour) to foster ownership of the project.
6. Ensure sustainability by maintaining water sources, infrastructure, and regular operational funding.
7. Empower the workforce in the water sector by training in various areas such as construction, plumbing, water quality management, and more.
8. Raise awareness about safe drinking water and promote shared responsibility among all stakeholders.

Components Under JJM:

1. Development of Infrastructure: Creating or upgrading in-village piped water supply systems to connect every rural household to reliable tap water.
2. Augmentation of Water Sources: Developing and enhancing reliable sources of water, such as wells, borewells, rivers, or reservoirs, to ensure a sustainable water supply in rural areas.
3. Bulk Water Treatment and Transfer: Establishing or improving water treatment plants and bulk water transfer systems to ensure that clean, safe water reaches villages, especially in areas where local sources are insufficient.
4. Technological Interventions for Contaminant Removal: Installing technologies in areas where water quality issues, such as contamination by arsenic, fluoride, or iron, affect the water supply. These technologies help ensure that water is potable and safe for consumption.
5. Retrofitting Existing Water Schemes: Upgrading and modifying ongoing or completed water supply schemes to ensure that every household receives at least 55 litres of water per capita per day (lpcd).
6. Greywater Management: Implementing systems to manage and recycle greywater (wastewater from baths, sinks, etc.), reducing water wastage and promoting sustainable water use practices within rural communities.
7. Flexi Funds for Unforeseen Challenges: Provision of Flexi Funds to address unforeseen challenges such as those arising from natural disasters, enabling timely and effective responses to safeguard the water supply.

Impact of JJM

1. Time-saving: The mission saves an estimated 5.5 crore hours daily, mostly for women who no longer need to spend hours fetching water from distant sources.
2. Health Improvements: By providing safe drinking water, JJM helps prevent 400,000 deaths annually due to waterborne diseases like diarrhoea, which is a leading cause of death in rural areas. The initiative is also projected to save 14 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs), indicating a significant improvement in public health.
3. Reduction in Child Mortality: According to Nobel Laureate Prof. Michael Kremer’s research, safe water coverage can reduce child mortality among those under five by 30%, potentially saving 136,000 children’s lives every year.
4. Job Creation: JJM’s implementation is expected to generate 59.9 lakh person-years of direct employment during its capital expenditure phase. Additionally, 13.3 lakh person-years of direct employment will be generated during the operation and maintenance phase.