Is ‘Har Gar Jal’ Programme Faces Challenges To Flow?
India’s flagship programme for access of tap water to every household, Jal Jeevan Mission, is now facing challenges to ensure the proper flow of project. As per the reports of India Spend, many of the rural households have tap connections at their home as part of the scheme, but they haven’t received water yet. In 2023, the Revolutionary Goans Party, a regional party in Goa, has stated that JJM scheme in nothing but a myth. But according to JJM data, Goa is the first state which have provided piped water to all households.
In an answer to the Parliament on February 2024, Minister of State for Jal Shakthi Rajiv Chandrashekhar has informed that programme faces challenges including lack of dependable water resources, presence of geo genic contaminants, and lack of capacity of local communities to manage and operate in villages. Apart the challenges, the Congress has alleged that scheme has intervened in a scam worth Rs 13000 Cr in Jammu and Kashmir.
Reportedly, India’s JJM, one of largest welfare programme in the world, is facing challenges and allegations, and dilemma that will it complete it well by time or not.
What is Jal Jeevan Mission
It was on 15th August 2019, on 72nd year of Indian Independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced Jal Jeevan Mission, India’s flagship programme for Tap water connection to every rural household by 2024, in an address from the ramparts of Red Fort. The programme was started with the aim to provide safe and potable water on a regular and long-term basis to all rural households in the country. The Government of India has planned to spend an outlay of total Rs 3.6 lakh crores for the mission, in collaboration with states. Under the national project, the fund sharing pattern has divided into 50:50 in states, 90:10 in Northern and Himalayan states and Union Territories with legislature, and 100% for Union Territories (UTs) without legislature.
Nearly to 100% completion of project
According to JJM data, total number of rural households with tap water connection as of May 2024 has reached to 14,79,73,246 (76.64%), while it was 3,23,62,838 (16.76%) in August 2019. Additional more than 11 crore households have got access to tap connections, out of approximate 19 lakh rural households in the country.
Goa was the first state reported 100% of coverage of the project to target people in 2022. Nine states and two UTs, including Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Haryana, Telangana, Puducherry, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram have reported 100% coverage, while states including Bihar, Uttarakhand and Ladakh attained more than nearing 90% of project.
The government data reveals that, there are 1,18,743 Har Gar Jal certificate villages, which means that Grama Sabha has passed the resolution after ascertaining the claim of water supply departments that all the households, schools, and Anganwadi centres are getting water supply in their village. There are 2,20,282 ‘Reported villages’, which means that water supply department of the state has confirmed that all the target peoples and institutions in their administrative unit has water supply.
Challenges in the way forward
The major challenge faced by project is lack of community management in the management and operation of water resources. A study report on JJM by Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL-water) states that one of the biggest threats to rural water supply in India is poor water resources management. It said that rural drinking water progress is hampered by a lack of local planning and rushed efforts to achieve 2024 deadline.
The report says that while the policy of project applies as a top-down approach, it may be not suitable for the community-based management. The community management will help in involvement of local population in decision making, water resource management, which are the main factors for success of the project.
A 2023 report of Standing Committee on Water Resouces of 17th Lok Sabha recommends that development of ground water is present scattered with ministries and departments dealing with different aspects. But equally importance is to be played by communities and civil society organisations. Experts says that if communities are not involved in sustaining FHTCs, it will make difficult to sustain operations and maintenance through tariffs from households.
Delay in sharing funds of state is also a challenge to the progress of Mission. Uttar Pradesh is largest fund estimated state which centre have allotted Rs.16,947 Crore itself in last year.
How JJM helps for the Country
A 2023 report of World Health Organisation highlights the substantial benefits of Har Gar Jal programme in India. The report indicates that distribution of safe drinking water to rural households could avoid nearly 400000 deaths caused by diarrheal diseases and prevent across 14 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) to these diseases, resulting in cost saving of up to $101 billion.
The report also says that tremendous impact of the programme would be for women and girls, as the time and effort saved to struggling for water by carrying the loads in their heads for adjoining 5-6 kilometres.
The massive generation of employment, especially in rural areas, is an another advantage of the programme. A study by IIM Bangalore in 2023, reveals that employment generation potential of JJM at 2.8 crore person-years in construction phase and 11.8 lakh person years for operation and maintenance.
(This article is part of a Timeline internship programme)
