The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti recently released its year-end review for 2022. The impressive progress report of the department includes significant achievements in two flagship initiatives – Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission – Grameen (SBM – G).
Achievements of the Jal Jeevan Mission
As of December 21, 2022, the Jal Jeevan Mission has successfully provided tap water connections to more than 10.76 crore rural households, which represent 55.62% of all rural households. Four states and three Union Territories have reported full coverage under the mission, earning the “Har Ghar Jal” certification.
The first state and UT to achieve this were Goa and Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, respectively. Furthermore, the Burhanpur District of Madhya Pradesh was the first district to attain this remarkable feat.
Har Ghar Jal Certification:
A village is declared as “Har Ghar Jal” when all households, schools, Anganwadi centers, and public institutions in that village have a functional tap connection.
Addressing Water Challenges in JE-AES Affected Districts:
The government prioritizes access to clean water in Japanese Encephalitis and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome affected districts. This focus has led to an increase in tap water connections in these areas from 8 lakhs to 147.14 lakh households.
Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance:
India presently has a total of 2,074 water testing laboratories, with 1,005 labs accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL).
The Role of Implementation Support Agencies:
Implementation Support Agencies (ISAs) are extending support to Panchayats, facilitating the constitution of Village Water Sanitation Committees and preparing Village Action Plans.
National WASH Experts:
The National Centre for Drinking Water, Sanitation, and Quality deploys National WASH Experts for technical assistance to States. In 2022, 62 teams visited around 1,035 villages across the country.
Use of Technologies for Drinking Water Supply and Water Quality:
The JJM leverages technologies such as IoT-based Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, remote sensing, and design software to improve water quality control, planning, and impact assessment.
Grievance Redressal Mechanism:
A Grievance Redressal Cell addresses complaints related to water supply through the Centralized Public grievances Redress and Monitoring System.
Introducing Jeevan Survekshan (JJS):
In October 2022, the Vice President of India launched ‘Jal Jeevan Survekshan’, an initiative to incentivize improved water service delivery.
Key Achievements of Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)
The mission launched on October 2, 2014, by the Prime Minister aimed to achieve an Open Defecation Free (ODF) country by October 2, 2019. By 2019, all the villages in the country had declared themselves ODF.
Progress Update:
In 2022, around 1.25 lakh villages declared themselves Open Defecation Free Plus. Additionally, under the Sujlam 1.0 and Sujlam 2.0 campaigns, more than 23 lakh soak pits were constructed.
GOBARdhan Initiative:
The initiative aims to convert bio-waste into bio-slurry and biogas, promoting cleanliness and generating wealth and energy. Since January 2022, 96 community-level Biogas Plants have been established under this initiative.
Retrofit to Twin Pit Abhiyan:
This campaign promotes the safe disposal of fecal sludge. The first phase saw 97% of villages complete baseline assessment.
Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2023:
Launched on November 2, 2022, Swachh Survekshan Grameen 2023 aims to create healthy competition among States, Districts, and Gram Panchayats and assess progress.