Relevance: GS-2: Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.

Key phrases: Jal Jeevan Mission, ARWSP, Panchayath Raj, rural household, FHTC, Community Participation.

Why in News?

• The Union Ministry of Jal Shakti on Friday said Himachal Pradesh's Chamba district has become the 100th district in the country to have tap water supply in every household.

Achievement of Jal Jeevan Mission:

• After touching the milestone of providing tap water supply to more than 9 Crore homes on 16th February, 2022, Jal Jeevan Mission achieved another milestone of providing tap water to every home of 100 districts in the country.
• As of 15 August, 2019, when the mission was announced, out of 19.27 crore households, only 3.23 crore (17%) households in India had tap water connections.
• In Goa, Haryana, Telangana, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Puducherry, Dadar & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, every rural household has tap water supply, the data showed. Punjab (99%), Himachal Pradesh (92.4%), Gujarat (92%) and Bihar (90%) are on the verge of achieving the feat in 2022.

Background:

• India over the years has been trying to provide basic infrastructure to its citizens in both rural and urban areas.
• For providing water supply to rural areas, India has a long history of programmes which started with Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) 1972-73, which was later renamed as National Rural Drinking Water Programme in 2009.
• The 73rd Amendment Act in 1992 gave powers to Panchayati Raj institutions to control water supply and collect taxes for the same. The government developed sector-based projects (1999-2000) that involved community participation which was later developed as Swjaldhara in 2002. This gave financial support for infrastructure development as well as powers to the Panchayati Raj for O&M.
• These programmes developed infrastructure to provide some form of water supply to 95% of rural population.
• In the year 2019 Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched by the Government of India (GoI) to provide Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) to every rural household.

Priorities for Jal Jeevan Mission: To achieve the primary goal of FHTC to every household in rural India JJM prioritizes a set of major objectives which are broadly described below.

• To develop an In-Village water supply infrastructure that can cater to the water supply requirement based on the water demand of the village.
• The infrastructure developed will include water source development, strengthening/ retrofitting the existing infrastructure, grey water management, and bulk water distribution systems.
• Partnerships between State, District, Gram Panchayat, PHED, Sector Partners (Such as UN, CSR funds, NGOs, CBOs, trust, and the like) and Implementation Support Agencies (ISA) for project implementation.
• Empowering the village Gram Panchayat / Village Committee through capacity building. A Special focus has been given for empowering women to monitor the water quality.
• Ensuring financial sustainability by collecting payments for water supply. Gram Panchayat can fix and collect the O&M cost in terms of water tariff from the households. SAP’s should define water tariff for bulk water supply which can cater to the O&M cost of the large scale infrastructure.
• Technology interventions and innovations such as solar energy-based standalone water supply systems, community water purification plant, and the like to ensure that rural areas where climatic conditions pose severe challenges could develop water supply infrastructure.
• Community Participation to create ownership and a sense of responsibility. Communities are to contribute 5% or 10% of the capital cost in different forms such as labour, cash, rainwater harvesting, and the like which can ensure the long-term sustainability of the system.
• Priority for the areas affected by poor water quality.
• Institutional reforms to strengthen the SWSM, DWSM and Village Water and Sanitation Committee at different levels of governance.
• Infrastructure should ensure source sustainability through water conservation methods. The capital investments for these can be in convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and grants under the Finance Commission.

Challenges to achieve the objectives of JJM: Major Challenges can be broadly detailed as listed below.

• JJM needs more effective systems on implementing sustainable water conservation methods as the water demand by the end of a 30-year period will exceed the available water supply. While there are several methods mentioned in the implementation guidelines of JJM for sustainable water conservation, strong capital investments are required in the SAPs/ DAPs.
• The presence of groundwater contaminants such as fluoride, arsenic, and other heavy metals in around 56,788 households across 18 states will be a major challenge for the JJM to provide adequate water quality
• India has diverse climatic conditions and water demand varies accordingly. To provide round the year water supply, JJM needs additional infrastructure developments.
• Habitation settlement pattern varies from village to village, while some places have dense settlements others are diverse. The per capita capital cost will vary accordingly and JJM needs to address these patterns to provide FHTC to all households.
• Many states in India face Natural Calamities / Seasonal Hazards such as Kerala and north-eastern states which face floods while western places such as Gujarat and Rajasthan face droughts. To supply water regularly during these conditions, sufficient regional-level infrastructure projects are required to support JJM.
• Cultural Practices in different parts of the country vary in the demand for water from village to village. Methodology to incorporate such regional requirements needs to be addressed in JJM.
• Water being a State subject, the institutions need a better corporation with national and state-institutions for effective implementation and monitoring of the infrastructure.
• Project implementation faces several difficulties such as public agitations due to lack of awareness. Forest and tribal areas need awareness activities to welcome the water supply infrastructure.
• State Government Management needs skilled expertise in the field of new water management concepts for incorporating efficient systems.

Way Forward:

• JJM which aims to provide infrastructure for water supply is a very fundamental requirement for every household. Such missions are to be welcomed and appreciated for addressing such necessities of human life.
• But the success of JJM is dependent on its ability to address regional level issues along with sustainable management of water sources. More diverse and decentralized planning along with local innovations in implementation can support effective and smart water supply systems.
• As a way forward JJM can also address infrastructure for increased water demand based on population, agricultural and other water requirements in a more water sensitive planning approach for the overall economic growth of the country.

Source:  Live Mint

Mains Question:

Q. Water being the primary requirement of life, Water infrastructure has been a major sector for government investments. In this context discuss the potential of Jal Jeevan Mission to provide water supply to rural areas. Comment. (250words)