New Delhi: To enable every rural household in the country to have assured potable water through tap water connection by 2024, Government of India in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal from Aug., 2019. Water being a State subject, the responsibility to plan, approve, implement & operate & maintain water supply schemes lies with the States. At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, 3.23 Crore (17%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by States/ UTs as on 09.03.2023, additional 8.15 Crore rural households have been provided with tap water connections in last three and half years under JJM. Thus, as on 09.03.2023, out of 19.42 Crore rural households in the country, more than 11.38 Crore (58%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.
To achieve the goal of JJM in the whole country with speed, a number of steps have been taken to enable the states/UTs to ensure coverage within the Mission Period, inter alia, including joint discussion and finalization of annual action plan (AAP) of States/ UTs, regular review of implementation, workshops/ conferences/ webinars for capacity building and knowledge sharing, field visits by multi-disciplinary team to provide technical support, etc. A detailed Operational Guideline for the implementation of JJM; Margdarshika for Gram Panchayats & VWSCs to provide safe drinking water in rural households and Guidelines on a special campaign to provide piped water supply in anganwadi centres, ashramshalas and schools have been shared with States/ UTs to facilitate planning and implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission. For online monitoring, JJM–Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) and JJM–Dashboard has been put in place. Provision has also been made for transparent online financial management through Public Financial Management System (PFMS). Sufficient funds are also being provided to states for timely completion of works.
Lack of dependable drinking water sources in water-stressed, drought prone and desert areas, presence of geo-genic contaminants in ground water, uneven geographical terrain, scattered rural habitations, etc. and delay in release of the matching State share in some States especially after the Covid-19 pandemic, are few of problems faced in the implementation of the mission by the States.
Water being a State subject, power to plan, approve, implement & operate & maintain water supply schemes are vested with States. As such, grievances/ complaints etc. are disposed of in respective State/ UT. Accordingly, grievances received are forwarded to the respective State Government for taking necessary action.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.
