The Rural Water Supply, also known as the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), is a flagship initiative launched by the Government of India with the aim of providing piped water supply to all rural households by 2024.
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The mission focuses on ensuring the provision of safe and potable water to every household in rural areas, thereby improving health outcomes, promoting socio-economic development, and empowering rural communities. Here are the key components and steps involved in the Jal Jeevan Mission:
- Identification of Priority Areas: The mission prioritizes areas with inadequate access to safe drinking water, including water-stressed regions, tribal areas, and regions with a high prevalence of waterborne diseases. Identification of priority areas is based on criteria such as the percentage of households with piped water supply, water quality parameters, and socio-economic indicators.
- Community Participation: Community participation is central to the success of the Jal Jeevan Mission. Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) or Paani Samiti are formed at the grassroots level to facilitate community engagement in planning, implementation, and management of water supply schemes. This ensures ownership, sustainability, and accountability in the delivery of water services.
- Infrastructure Development: The mission focuses on infrastructure development to provide piped water supply to rural households. This includes the construction of decentralized water supply systems such as piped water supply schemes, hand pumps, tube wells, rainwater harvesting structures, and water treatment plants, depending on the local hydrogeological conditions and water availability.
- Technology Adoption: The Jal Jeevan Mission encourages the adoption of appropriate technologies for water supply systems, including innovative and cost-effective solutions suited to rural contexts. This may include gravity-based systems, solar-powered pumps, community water purification units, and low-cost water treatment technologies to ensure the sustainability and affordability of water supply services.
- Capacity Building: Capacity building initiatives are undertaken to strengthen the technical and managerial skills of stakeholders involved in the planning, implementation, and operation of water supply systems. Training programs are conducted for VWSC members, village-level functionaries, and frontline workers to enhance their knowledge and skills in water management, water quality monitoring, and maintenance of infrastructure.
- Water Quality Monitoring: Ensuring the quality of drinking water is a key focus of the Jal Jeevan Mission. Water quality monitoring mechanisms are established to regularly assess the microbial and chemical parameters of drinking water sources. This involves setting up water quality testing laboratories, training personnel in water quality testing techniques, and conducting regular surveillance to ensure compliance with national drinking water quality standards.
- Behavior Change Communication (BCC): BCC campaigns are conducted to raise awareness among rural communities about the importance of safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene practices. These campaigns use a variety of communication channels such as mass media, interpersonal communication, community events, and digital platforms to promote behavior change and adoption of safe water practices at the household level.
- Sustainability and O&M: The mission emphasizes the sustainability of water supply infrastructure through effective operation and maintenance (O&M) mechanisms. Community-based approaches are adopted for O&M, wherein VWSCs are responsible for the operation, maintenance, and revenue collection for water supply services. Capacity building, technical support, and regular monitoring are provided to ensure the sustainability of water supply systems over the long term.
- Monitoring and Evaluation: Robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms are put in place to track progress towards the mission’s objectives and outcomes. Key performance indicators are established to measure the coverage, functionality, and sustainability of water supply schemes. Regular reviews, assessments, and feedback mechanisms are used to identify challenges, gaps, and opportunities for improvement in program implementation.
- Financial Management and Funding: Adequate financial resources are mobilized from central and state government funds, external sources, and community contributions to support the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission. Transparent financial management practices are adopted to ensure efficient utilization of funds, timely disbursement of payments, and compliance with financial regulations and guidelines.
By adopting a holistic approach that integrates infrastructure development, community participation, technology adoption, capacity building, and sustainability measures, the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to transform rural water supply services and ensure universal access to safe and sustainable drinking water for all rural households in India.