Jal Jeevan adds 1 lakh water connections daily

Context: UPSC GS Paper III: Water Resources, Government Schemes (PT-Mains)

• Since its launch in August 2019, the Centre’s ambitious flagship scheme Jal Jeevan Mission ( JJM), which in partnership with the States seeks to ensure that every rural household of the country gets assured drinking water supply by 2024, has achieved 32.3% coverage of tap connections in rural India.
• The Modi government is almost replicating the implementation of its flagship scheme of building toilets in the first term in providing tap water connections to every rural household in the country in its second term. In its first term from 2014 to 2019, the Centre reportedly built over 11 crore toilets in the country.

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), 2019

• It envisages supply of 55 litres water per person per day to every rural household through Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) by 2024. It focuses on integrated demand and supply side management of water at the local level.
• Creation of local infratructure as mandatory elements like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and reuse of household water to be undertaken.
• The mission is based on a community approach to water and includes Information, Education and Communication as a key components mission.
• JJM looks to create a Jal Andolan to make water everyone's priority.
• Funding: It is a Centrally Sponsored Schemes. 50:50 for States; 90:10 for Him and NE and 100% for UTs.
• Operational guidelines: 4-level structure
  1. National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) at the Central level
  2. State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) at the State level
  3. District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) at the District level
  4. Village Water Sanitation Committee (VWSC) at Village level
• Every village will prepare Village Action Plan which will have 3 components:
  1. Water source and its maintenance;
  2. Water supply and
  3. Grey water management.
• The ministry will roll out the Government’s ambitious plan (‘Nal se Jal’ scheme under jal jiven plan) to provide piped water connection to every household in India by 2024.

Atal Bhujal Yojana, 2020

• It is a Central Sector Scheme to improve groundwater management through community participation.
• Funding pattern is 50:50 between India and World Bank.
• Outlay is of Rs. 6000 crore. Implemented over 5 years i.e. 2020-21 to 2024-25.
• Ministry of Jal Shakti is adopting a mix of top down and bottom up approach to identify groundwater stressed blocks in 8350 Gram Panchayats in 7 States (not all India) = UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, MP, Maharashtra and Karnataka.
• It will focus on participatory groundwater management, behavioral change in areas where groundwater is low.
• We should go for Crop diversification. Promote micro-irrigation.
• It has 2 components:
  1. Institutional strengthening and capacity building component and
  2. Incentive component for incentivizing States.
• ABY envisages active participation of the communities in various activities such as the formation of ‘Water User Associations’, monitoring and disseminating ground water data, water budgeting, preparation & implementation of Gram-panchayat-wise water security plans and Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities related to sustainable groundwater management.