Jal Jeevan Mission

News: As part of the Jal Jeevan Mission, Rural households will get two to three hours of piped water supply and 14.6 crore such households will be provided piped water connection in the next five years. This was informed at a meeting of the group of Governors on Jal Shakti.

Facts:

About Jal Jeevan Mission:

  • Aim: It seeks to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections (HarGharJal) to all rural households by 2024.
  • Implementing Agency: It will be implemented by Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Jal Shakti Ministry.
  • Finance: The project is estimated to cost Rs 3.50 lakh crore, with the Union government and states sharing the expenses 50:50.
  • Features:
  • It will focus on integrated demand and supply-side management of water at the local level.
  • It will implement source sustainability measures recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting.
  • It will converge with other Central and State Government Schemes to achieve its objectives of sustainable water supply management across India.
  • It seeks to generate maximum community participation in the form of ‘jan andolan’ to achieve the target of functional household tap connection by 2024.
  • Need: According to the Jal Shakti Ministry, only 18% of India’s rural households have access to piped water. Thus to improve coverage of households with piped safe drinking water the mission has been initiated.

Additional Information:

Group of Governors:

  • The group of Governors on Jal Shakti was constituted by President Ram Nath Kovind in August 2019.
  • Four other groups on various socioeconomic issues has also been constituted.
    • Group on tribal affairs headed by the Governor of Jharkhand.
    • Group on farmer welfare and agriculture Headed by Governor of Gujarat
    • Group on Education headed by Governor of Uttar Pradesh
    • Group on Governance headed by Governor of West Bengal
  • The report of these groups will be deliberated in the 5th conference of the governors to be held in November 2019.