The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), launched by the Government of India, aims to provide piped water supply (‘har ghar nal se jal’) to all rural households by 2024.
Jal Jeevan Mission aims to ensure access to safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household in India, thereby improving health, hygiene, and overall quality of life, particularly for women and children.
The broad objectives of the Mission are:
Universal Coverage: Ensure piped water supply to all rural households, prioritizing villages with a high percentage of Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) populations, as well as villages affected by water quality issues.
Sustainability: Promote sustainable water resource management practices, including source sustainability measures, greywater recycling, rainwater harvesting, and community participation in water conservation activities.
Convergence: Foster convergence with other government programs, such as Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), MGNREGA, and SBM-Gramin, to maximize efficiency and resource utilization.
Community Participation: Facilitate community participation in planning, implementation, operation, and maintenance of water supply systems, ensuring ownership and sustainability.
Expansion of Infrastructure: including formulation of water supply schemes, installation of tap connections, and augmentation of existing water sources.
Capacity Building: including training local communities, water supply personnel, and government officials in various aspects of water management such as water quality testing, maintenance, and operation of water supply systems.
Technological Innovation: Embracing innovations such as remote monitoring of water supply systems, GIS mapping of water sources, and use of mobile applications for data collection and monitoring.
Awareness and Behaviour Change: Conducting campaigns and behavioural change communication activities to promote conservation and hygiene practices and emphasize the importance of safe drinking water.
Financial Support: Mobilization of funds through central and state government allocations, and support from external agencies, to finance the implementation of water supply projects.
Har Ghar Jal (HGJ) refers to the number of households in an administrative unit that are provided with a functional tap water supply connection (FHTC).
Of 19 crore rural households, nearly two-thirds have FHTCs.
The current coverage is 73.18%, with a monthly average increase rate of 1.87%.
Of 5,80,051 JJM-identified villages, 58.37% have 100% FHTCs coverage, 34.58% are reported by implementing agencies, and 49.63% are certified by Gram Sabhas.
Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Haryana, and Punjab are categorised as ‘Certified States/UTs’, while Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, and Gujarat are ‘Reported States’.