- The Union Cabinet approved the extension of Jal Jeevan Mission with Rs 8.7 lakh crore outlay
- The mission will shift focus from infrastructure creation to service delivery and sustainability
- A national digital framework, Sujalam Bharat, will digitally map water supply systems in villages
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the extension of Jal Jeevan Mission, while raising the overall outlay for the project to Rs 8.7 lakh crore, Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in a press briefing.
"Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 was approved today... It is time to make this project sustainable now. The project is being restructured completely. The focus will now be on service delivery from infra creation. Its allocated amount has been increased to Rs 8.7 lakh crore. A main focus of this will be on involving the community in operation and maintenance. All assets will be digitally mapped. All programmes will be certified," he said.
Vaishnaw reported that the Centre approved the Ministry of Jal Shakti's proposal to shift the focus of the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission from creating infrastructure to delivering services which will be provided with the help of drinking water adniminstration and institutional framework for the supply of sustainable rural piped water that is fit for human consumption.
The Cabinet signed off on the enhancement of the total funds allocated to Rs. 8.69 lakh crore with aggregated central assistance of Rs. 3.59 lakh crore to help with the restructuring efforts. This increased the amount from the Rs. 2.08 lakh crore central assistance provided in 2019-20 to an additional amount of Rs. 1.51 lakh crore.
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The Ministry will also institute a uniform national digital framework, named 'Sujalam Bharat', under which every village shall be assigned a unique Sujal Gaon / Service Area ID, digitally mapping the complete drinking water supply system from source to tap. For ensuring transparency and accountability the involvement of Gram Panchayats (GP) and Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) in the commissioning and formal handover of schemes through "Jal Arpan".
A Gram Panchayat shall certify completion of works and declare itself “Har Ghar Jal” only upon confirmation that adequate in-village operation and maintenance mechanisms have been established by the State Government. Recognizing that community ownership and participation are critical for operational efficiency and source sustainability, the programme shall promote “Jal Utsav” as an annual, community-led maintenance and review event, integrating local cultural ethos while reinforcing collective responsibility for drinking water secure future.
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