GUWAHATI: As many as 2.5 lakh students will be engaged as ‘jal doot’ in Assam to create awareness on water preservation under the centrally-sponsored flagship programme Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
These jal doots will assess the quality of piped water and the functional status of the water supply connection in every household.
“10 students of 9th to 10th standard would be engaged as jal doot against each scheme of the Jal Jivan Mission (JJM). The students will submit their reports to the state government as their educational projects,” Assam public health engineering and tourism minister Jayanta Mallah Baruah said.
The selected students will have to undergo a two-day workshop on water, sanitation, and health along with community engagement.
“They will go to the fields to know about the working mechanism of the pipe water supply system. They will also be given field test kits to monitor the water quality. The jal doots will also interact with various people of the community on issues like climate change, and water conservation efforts and record all the things in the jal doot diary,” Baruah said.
“Through this initiative, some environmental-aware children will also be able to work for the betterment of the community,” the minister said.
The programme will be implemented with active support from India National Resource Economics and Management (INREM) Foundation, an empanelled sector partner under the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation.
JJM Assama has already signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). A pilot workshop (Jal Shala) has been taken up under the jal doot programme for students of class VIII, IX and XI on the safe management of water focusing on drinking water security and management and functionality assessment of the PWS schemes following a structured training module developed by INREM.
The teachers associated with Arybhaatta Science Centre (ASC) under ASTEC (Assam Science Technology and Environment Council and Science and Technology Department will be assigned the role of trainer to sensitise and orient the students on jal doot programme.
Preliminary discussions and meetings with ASTEC and SSA have already been taken up and MoUs between ASTEC and SSA will be signed soon.
Moreover, the best jal doot will be awarded in the district.
The JJM was announced from the ramparts of the Red Fort by Prime Minister Modi on August 15, 2019. It is being implemented in partnership with states and UTs.
At the time of its announcement, out of a total of 18.93 crore rural households, only 3.23 crore (17%) households had access to tap water connections. Thus, the remaining 15.70 crore families were dependent on the river, well, pond, stand post and spring for their daily water needs.
Under the JJM programme, a minimum of 55 litres per capita per day will be supplied to each household.
While seven states and Union Territories (UTs) of the country have achieved a 100 per cent target in ensuring piped water to rural households three years after its launch, in Assam more than 58 per cent of households are yet to get piped water under the scheme.
According to the official figure, 67.19 lakh households will have to be provided Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTC) under 29,568 schemes by 2024.
A total of 5,190 schemes have been completed till January 24, this year. Altogether 4,295 schemes have been handed over to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
In Assam, the implementation of the scheme started in 2019.
Prior to JJM, the state had 1.11 lakh households having piped water connections, which is 1.6 per cent of the State’s 3.30 crore population. Till January 24, 2023, piped water connection has been provided to 28.27 lakh households, which is 42.1% of the total state’s population.
Of 25,335 villages of the state, 2,021 villages have been declared as Har Ghar Jal in IMIS, while 146 villages have been certified as Har Ghar Jal Villages. Of 45,135 schools in the state, 37,634 (83%) schools have been provided with running water connections.
Piped water connections have been provided to 27,711 (72%) anganwadi centres out of a total of 38,455 anganwadi centres in the state.
Meanwhile, a DPR has been prepared for providing piped water connection to 20 lakh households in the final phase.
In a bid to assess the quality and functionality status of the schemes, the state government is also planning to organise a Jal Utsav in the line of Gunotsav across the state.
“After completion of the schemes, we are going to assess the quality of water and functionality by organising a Jal Utsav, where top functionaries and officials will be deployed,” the minister said.
Presently, some women self-help groups (SHGs) in collaboration with Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASLRM) have been roped in for monitoring the availability of piped water through the mobile app “Jal Sarathi”.
“These SHGs verified 4 lakhs piped water connections across the state. According to their report, 60 per cent of the connection remained operational without flaws. This is the geo-tagged date which is accurate. We are working on correcting the flaws in the remaining 40 per cent of connections,” the minister said.
“The JJM will not provide funds for the renovation of these 40 per cent schemes which are non-functional. But we have to manage funds from state resources,” he said.
EASTMOJO PREMIUM
Help sustain honest journalism.
Under the JJM Survekshan programme, 10 districts of the state have been placed among the top 60 districts of the country in the implementation of the scheme. In addition to this, South Saalmara has been ranked as 3rd best in the country.
Since 2019, the JJM has covered only 42 per cent of rural households. Moreover, 40 per cent of the completed schemes are non-functional.
Will rural Assam be fully covered under the mission within 2024?
Also read | India a ‘bright spot’ in world economy right now: top UN economist