Jal Jeevan Mission

Jal Jeevan Mission: Progress, Challenges, and the Way Forward

Context:

Issue of Water Crisis in India India faces a severe water crisis, especially in cities like Bengaluru. Factors such as inadequate rainfall, mismanagement of water bodies, and high costs of water tankers exacerbate the situation. Groundwater overuse and contamination from pollutants further compound the problem.

Status of Water in India:

India has only 4% of the world’s freshwater resources, despite being home to 17.6% of the global population. The Water Quality Index ranks India 120th out of 122 countries assessed. Approximately 600 million Indians face high to extreme water stress, and inadequate access to safe water leads to about two lakh deaths annually1.

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): A Crucial Scheme

• Objective: To provide access to tap water in rural India.
• Budget Allocation: The government has allocated 70,000 crores for JJM in 2023-2024.
• Achievements: JJM has successfully provided tap water connections to 142.5 million rural households (almost 74% of the total) out of 192.6 million1.
• Challenges: Budget constraints, implementation challenges in some states, and ensuring continuous water flow through taps.
• Features: Encourages community engagement for local ownership and sustainable water management. Focuses on source sustainability, including recharge, reuse, and conservation.

Conclusion:

Jal Jeevan Mission aims to create a water revolution by making safe and adequate drinking water accessible to every rural household.