Jal Jeevan Mission scripting stories of change

Women are often the water managers at home in rural regions, and a shortage of safe drinking water poses several issues for them, especially when the water is tainted with arsenic.

Women are more concerned of maintaining the fundamental necessity of clean and safe drinking water supply in their homes as a result of the hardship, according to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, which provided instances from two different states.

Darrang district in Assam has been added to the NITI Aayog's Aspirational Districts initiative. "Darrang has a shortage of clean drinking water in rural regions, and the quality of the water is contaminated with arsenic, rendering it unsafe for direct consumption. The recurring flood adds to the city's troubles "The Jal Shakti Ministry issued a statement.

The JJM's slogan in Assam is 'Ghare Ghare Bisudha Paani' (clean tap water in every home), and ISAs have been hired to help with its implementation.

One of the ISAs, Dhulikona Foundation, has been working in 60 villages across nine Gram Panchayats (GPs), seven of which are led by women. "Seeing GP presidents, particularly female GP presidents, take the lead is really encouraging," the Ministry stated.

Madhuramba hamlet in the Gajapati district of Odisha is located outside of Assam. It was facing a water shortage, which would worsen in the summer. Residents of the community struggled to satisfy their daily drinking water demands until 2018.

They had a terrible time because there was no water around. The village's four handpumps supplied all of the residents' water needs, but they would run dry in the heat.

When Gram Vikas, a civil society organisation already operating in the region, contacted the community with various options to end their agony, the JJM was born.

In the community, a participatory meeting was held to enlighten residents about the 'Har Ghar Jal' programme. Every home in the village could get a tap water connection if they agreed to participate in the programme, prepare a village action plan with the help of public health engineering department officials, approve the plan in the Gram Sabha, and submit it to the district administration for consideration and implementation.

Also read: JJM Has Provided Tap Water Supply To More Than 97

"The community requested that three tap connections be installed in their homes: one in the kitchen for drinking and cooking meals, one in the bathroom, and one in the toilet," the statement said, adding that "these three taps would not only provide 'ease of living,' but also end the drudgery faced especially by women and young girls."

To reduce wasting, the Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC) erected metres at each dwelling, checked them on a regular basis, and issued invoices to collect user payments.

Solar energy is used to lift water to the above tank in the community. The residential user charge is used for routine cleaning and upkeep of water supply structures, chlorination of overhead tanks, purchase of Field Tests kits, and maintenance and repair of water supply structures as needed, according to the statement.

The community is aiming to transform its Panchayat into a 'Jal Prabudh Gaon,' and they've created a grey water management strategy to help them do so. (IANS/PR)

(keywords: The Village Water & Sanitation Committee, Jal Prabudh Gaon, Har Ghar Jal)