Jal Jeevan Mission: Not yet 'Har Ghar Jal' but getting there, one tap at a time

New Delhi, Dec 30: After focusing on housing, toilets, cooking gas, etc., in the first term, the Modi government in its second term decided to focus attention on ensuring that each rural household in the country gets piped drinking water at their doorstep: The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) launched with a motto 'Har Ghar Jal' in August 2019 aims to provide potable tap water at every doorstep in the country by 2024.

Government data showed that in 2019, only 3.23 crore (i.e. just 17 per cent) out of 19.22 crore rural households had tap water connections. The Jal Shakti Ministry set out the ambitious target of providing functional household tap connection (FHTC) to the remaining 16 crore (83 per cent) households by 2024.

"Reduction in drudgery of women and girls, improvement in 'quality of life', enhancement of 'ease of living', and dignity of life to rural communities," were some of the lofty aims that Modi listed out that day and often repeated by Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

The government claims that the Jal Jeevan Mission is being implemented in a decentralised manner following the 'bottom-up' approach, wherein the local village community, especially women, play a key role starting from planning to implementation and from management to operation & maintenance. 'Village Water & Sanitation Committee' / 'Pani Samiti' have been formed and women are also being trained to conduct water quality testing using Field Test Kits (FTKs).

"As on December 25, 8.70 crore (45.32 per cent) rural households from more than 1.29 lakh villages in 83 districts are receiving tap water supply. Goa, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Puducherry and Haryana have become 'Har Ghar Jal' states/ UTs, i.e., 100 per cent rural households to have taps," them Ministry data showed.