Introduction
- Jal Jeevan Mission was launched on 15 August 2019 to ensure Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to all rural households.
- The mission aims to shift rural India from handpumps and tankers to piped water supply, improving public health and reducing drudgery—especially for women.
- It operates on a community-based, decentralised model, where Gram Panchayats and local water committees take charge of planning and management.
- Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Jal Shakti.
Objectives of Jal Jeevan Mission
- Provide safe, adequate and regular drinking water to all rural households.
- Reduce water-borne diseases and improve health outcomes.
- Build systems that are sustainable, affordable, and community-owned.
- Ensure water security through source sustainability measures.
- Empower women by involving them in governance and water quality monitoring.
Key Features of JJM
- FHTC for every household: All rural homes receive an individual tap connection.
- Service-level benchmarks: Aim for 55 litres per capita per day (LPCD) drinking water.
- Participatory planning: Village Action Plans (VAPs) prepared with community involvement.
- Water Quality Monitoring: Test kits provided; women trained as “Paani Samitis.”
- Tech-enabled governance: Digital dashboards, geo-tagging, and real-time monitoring.
- Inclusivity: Special focus on SC/ST villages, Aspirational Districts, and drought-prone regions.
Components of JJM
- Creation of in-village water supply infrastructure (piped networks, reservoirs, standposts).
- Community engagement in planning, execution, and O&M.
- Water in schools, anganwadis, ashramshalas, and health centres.
- Focus on greywater management, recycling, and resource efficiency.
- Capacity building of village-level institutions.
- Ensuring source sustainability through conservation and recharge systems.
Source Sustainability Measures
- Groundwater recharge structures (check dams, percolation tanks).
- Rainwater harvesting initiatives.
- Watershed management.
- Protection of local water bodies and springs.
- Regulation of over-extraction through community norms.
Institutional Framework
- National Jal Jeevan Mission under Ministry of Jal Shakti.
- State Water & Sanitation Missions for state-level implementation.
- District Water & Sanitation Missions at district level.
- Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) or Paani Samitis for local management.
- Inter-ministerial collaboration with Health, Rural Development, Education.
Funding Pattern
- Centre : State = 50:50 (general states).
- 90:10 for Northeastern and Himalayan states.
- 100% central funding for UTs.
- Funding also flows through convergence with MGNREGA, SBM-G, and 15th Finance Commission grants.
Greywater Management under JJM
- Household wastewater reused for:
- Kitchen gardens
- Agriculture
- Recharge pits
- Community soak pits and waste-water drainage systems.
- Prevents stagnation and vector-borne diseases.
Role of Women in JJM
- Women make up 50% of VWSC membership.
- Key roles include:
- Water testing
- O&M decisions
- Tariff-setting
- Monitoring supply
- Reduces their daily burden of water collection.
Convergence with Other Schemes
- MGNREGA: Source sustainability works.
- Swachh Bharat Mission – Gramin: Links sanitation with water systems.
- 15th Finance Commission Grants: O&M of water systems.
- NRLM & SHGs: Women-led monitoring and training.
Challenges in Implementation
- Water scarcity in drought-prone and arid states.
- Overdependence on groundwater.
- Seasonal rivers and declining aquifers.
- Local capacity constraints in O&M.
- Water quality issues like fluoride, arsenic, salinity.
- Behaviour change and tariff acceptance.
Way Forward
- Strengthen source sustainability with scientific aquifer mapping.
- Increase community ownership and tariff-based O&M.
- Accelerate digital monitoring for leakages and quality.
- Expand greywater treatment capacity.
- Stronger convergence with environmental and forest departments.
- Promote climate-resilient water supply systems.
