NEW DELHI: The Jal Jeevan Mission was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 15, 2019, with the aim of providing all rural households with adequate quantity and quality of water. It was an attempt at delivering adequate quantity and satisfactory quality of water to every home – Har Ghar Jal.
With the focus on health and well-being of children, special efforts have been made to provide tap water connection in all rural schools, anganwadi centres, and ashramshalas (tribal residential schools) for drinking, cooking midday meals, hand washing and use in toilets.
With the active participation of people – especially women, and rural communities working together – the Jal Jeevan Mission has become a ‘Jan Andolan’ (people’s movement).
For long-term drinking water security, local communities and gram panchayats are coming forward and taking responsibility to manage village water supply systems, their water resources and grey water.
The Union Government intends the Mission to provide tap water supply to every rural household by 2024. At the time of launch of the Mission, reports said there were 14,020 arsenic and 7,996 fluorideaffected habitats in the country. As on April 3, the number of such habitations has reduced to 612 and 431 respectively.
According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, even in such affected areas, safe water is now available for drinking and cooking, to all inhabitants. In effect, all the estimated 1.79 crore people living in arsenic or fluoride-hit habitations are now getting safe water for drinking and cooking.
