HarGhar Jal

Published: 5th Nov, 2020

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.