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.