Sansad TV: Jal Jeevan Mission | Current Affairs & Hindu Analysis: Daily, Weekly & Monthly - UPSC PDF Download

Introduction

• The Indian Government, in collaboration with the States, is carrying out the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with the goal of providing tap water to every rural household by 2024. As of December 21, 2022, 55.62% of rural households, which amounts to over 10.76 Crore families, have been given access to adequate, good-quality tap water on a regular basis.
• The mission aims to train and empower people to work as skilled laborers, such as masons, mechanics, plumbers, pump operators, technicians, utility managers, and water testing laboratory in-charge, and generate employment opportunities across all levels.
• The JJM is also committed to implementing various technologies, such as aquifer recharge, rainwater harvesting, increased storage capacity of water bodies, reservoirs, de-silting, etc., to ensure the sustainability of water sources and improve the lifespan of water supply systems.
• Additionally, the mission focuses on water budgeting and audits, operation and maintenance, grey water management, water quality monitoring and surveillance, pre-positioned emergency water supply kits to provide transitional services in camps, and solar-based water supply schemes to reduce carbon footprints. 
• Four states and three union territories have reported as "Har Ghar Jal," meaning that every rural household has access to tap water, while Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, and Bihar are close to achieving the same goal.

Current Status of Rural Water Supply

• For a long time, the central and state governments have been working towards increasing access to safe and sufficient drinking water in rural areas. 
• Hand pumps, dug wells, and household water supply (HWS) have been used to provide basic drinking water in rural India. However, the percentage of rural Indian households with access to HWS remains relatively low, despite some states like Sikkim achieving high levels of HWS.

Challenges Faced

• One of the challenges faced in providing drinking water to rural areas is the insufficient attention given to sustaining the water source, particularly in cases where groundwater is the source. To address this issue, the proposed Jal Jeevan Mission will require source sustainability measures to be taken before pumping and distributing water to households.
• Another challenge is that the traditional approach to service delivery viewed the provision of drinking water primarily as an engineering solution, with schemes planned and executed by public health and engineering departments. However, water is an ideal sector to apply the principle of subsidiarity, where tasks are performed only at the most immediate or local level where they can be effectively carried out.

Jal Jeevan mission

• Efficient water management can be achieved by building capacity and providing training at the appropriate level. The Jal Jeevan Mission follows this principle by prioritizing community-managed single village groundwater-based schemes wherever there is enough good quality groundwater available.
• In cases where there isn't enough safe groundwater, surface water-based multi-village schemes will be promoted. Additionally, in remote regions where household water supply schemes may not be feasible, local innovations such as solar-based schemes will be encouraged.
• It is important to note that approximately 75% of the water supplied to households is wastewater, which needs to be effectively managed. With the proposed mission aiming to provide household water supply to rural households, effective management of wastewater will be crucial. 
• To address this issue, a mandatory provision will be included in the mission to channel and treat household wastewater through low-cost drainage and treatment systems. Once treated, the wastewater can be used for recharging groundwater and irrigation purposes.

Way forward

• In order to successfully implement Jal Jeevan Mission, it is essential to educate and inform the public about the importance of water management through various communication channels.
• Jal Shakti Abhiyan, an ongoing initiative, will play a crucial role in spreading awareness about the need for sustainable water management and water reuse.
• The government's aim is to promote decentralization, community management, and sustainable water management as the core principles for ensuring that every household has access to safe water supply.

Conclusion

The Jal Jeevan Mission will be a significant step forward in improving the living standards and fulfilling the aspirations of the people of India.