HarGhar Jal

• According to NITI Aayog India,2018 around sixty crore Indians "face high to extreme water stress and about two lakh people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water."
• The National Sample Survey Office's (NSSO) 76th round, July-December 2018, informs that one in every five (21.4 percent) households in India has piped drinking water connections.
• In urban India, 40.9 percent households receive piped water while in Rural India, just 11.3 percent households receive potable water directly at homes.

Water and Government Initiatives

• The key goal of the newly created Ministry of Jal shaktiis to assure "availability of potable water for all".Accordingly, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced Jal Jeevan Mission-HarGhar Jal from Delhi's Red Fort on 15th August 2019. The scheme promises piped water in every rural household by 2024.

Salient or Key Features of the Mission

• Emphasis is on 'service delivery' rather creating Infrastructure.
• SHGs/community-based organizations/NGOs involved as implementation support agencies making JJM truly a people’s movement.
• Safe water to be ensured in water quality affected areas on priority.
• Create skilled labour force to ensure long term maintenance of water supply systems.
• Building sense of ownership among the community through specific contribution of capital cost in cash, kind or labour, etc...
• Performance incentive of 10% to the village infrastructure based on successful demonstration of operation & maintenance.
• Monitoring water quality with 3 tier testing laboratory infrastructures.
• Creating Local trained workers especially women to test water supply.
• Public Finance Management System is mandatory to be used for all financial transactions to ensure transparency as well as tracking of funds.
• Ministry of Jal Shakti has set up Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) for monitoring of physical and financial progress.
• Rashtriya Jal JeevanKosh (RJJK) has been set up to mobilise and accept contributions / donations.