Budget Briefs:Providing access to safe and adequate drinking water to all Indians is a priority of the Government

  1. The Finance Minister has announced the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide potable water to every rural household by 2024.The newly constituted Jal Shakti ministry will helm the programme.
  2. This mission will focus on integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level including the creation of local infrastructure for source sustainability like (a)rainwater harvesting (b)groundwater recharge and (c)management of household wastewater for reuse in agriculture.
  3. The  Mission will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across the country.
  4. Besides using funds available under various Schemes, the government will also explore the possibility of using additional funds available under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) for this purpose.
  5. Recently,the Centre has formed a new ‘Jal Shakti’ Ministry.It has been formed by merging the erstwhile Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation.