Jal Jeevan Mission: 100-days of campaign launched

On October 2, 2020, the Union Minister of Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh launched 100-days of campaign to provide piped water supply to schools and Anganwadi centres. The mission was launched as a part of celebrations of 151^st birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

Highlights

During the campaign, the States and Union Territories will ensure that Gram Sabhas are convened at the earliest to pass resolution to provide safe water in schools and Anganwadi centres. These facilities are to be operated by Gram Panchayats.

On September 29, 2020, PM Modi released “Margdarshika” for Gram Panchayats and Paani Samitis to implement Jal Jeevan Mission. Margdarshika is operational guidelines for Jal Jeevan Mission.

Jal Jeevan Mission

The mission aims to provide tap connections to every household by 2024. The mission was launched as 81.67% of households in India are yet to receive tap connections. The scheme is implemented at four levels namely National, State, District and Gram Panchayat.

Background

The rural water supply programme in India began in 1972 with the launch of Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme. It was then renamed as National Rural Drinking Water Programme in 2009.

Paani Samiti

The Pani Samiti is a statutory committee of Gram Panchayat. The committee will take care of community participation, ownership and contribution with respect to decisions pertaining to water supply systems.

Salient Features of the Guidelines

• Time bound completion of the mission
• Gram Panchayats are to play crucial role in planning, designing, operating and executing village infrastructure.
• A Village Action Plan is to be prepared by every village with three components such as
  • Water Source and maintenance
  • Water Supply
  • Grey Water Management
• The Village Action Plan will be aggregated to form the District Action Plan and the district action plan is to be aggregated to form State Action Plan
• Every asset created under the mission is to be geo-tagged
• Every functional tap connection is to be linked with Aadhar number of the head of the family.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2020