New Delhi, March 10 : The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Tuesday approved a proposal to restructure and reorient the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission from infrastructure creation to service delivery, supported by drinking water governance and institutional ecosystem for sustainable rural piped potable water supply.

For restructuring Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) focusing on structural reforms, the Cabinet has approved an increase in the total outlay to Rs 8.69 lakh crore, with total Central assistance of Rs 3.59 lakh crore, up from Rs 2.08 lakh crore approved in 2019-20. The additional Central share works out to Rs 1.51 lakh crore, according to a Cabinet communique.

A uniform national digital framework, namely Sujalam Bharat, is being instituted, 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 GPs and VWSCs in the commissioning and formal handover of schemes through Jal Arpan, the statement said.

A Gram Panchayat will have to 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. Recognising that community ownership and participation are critical for operational efficiency and source sustainability, the programme will promote "Jal Utsav" as an annual, community-led maintenance and review event, integrating local cultural ethos while reinforcing collective responsibility for a drinking water secure future, the communique said.

From the baseline of 3.23 crore (17 per cent) rural households with tap water connections in 2019, so far, more than 12.56 crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM. At present, out of 19.36 crore rural households identified by the states/UTs in the country, around 15.80 crore (81.61 per cent) households are reported to have tap water connections as on date.

Beyond the physical achievements, the impact of JJM has been assessed by reputed national and international institutions/ individuals. SBI Research reported that JJM has freed 9 crore women from fetching water, enabling greater participation in other economic activities. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimated a reduction in women's drudgery by saving 5.5 crore hours daily, prevention of 400,000 diarrheal deaths, and savings of 14 million Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs). Nobel laureate Prof. Michael Kremer estimated a potential of 30 per cent reduction in under-five mortality, saving 1,36,000 lives annually; IIM Bangalore & International Labour Organisation (ILO) estimated generation of 59.9 lakh direct and 2.2 crore indirect person-years of potential employment, strengthening rural livelihoods through JJM. Women and the girl child have emerged as the principal beneficiaries of this intervention, with substantial gains in terms of reduced drudgery, improved health and hygiene, enhanced dignity, and greater opportunities for education and livelihood activities.

JJM 2.0 would facilitate the certification of all Gram Panchayats as â??Har Ghar Jalâ??, by provisioning tap water connection to all the 19.36 crore rural households across the country by December 2028, while ensuring adherence to timelines, scheme sustainability, and delivery of citizen-centric water services through Separate MoUs with State/UTs. JJM 2.0 also fosters the vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 with assured 24Ã?7 rural drinking water supply by shifting from an infrastructure-centric approach to a citizen-centric utility-based service delivery approach through structural reforms, the statement said.

With the whole of Government approach, strategic convergence among various Departments at the Centre for sustainable and long-term operation and maintenance of rural water supply infrastructure and scheme source sustenance has also been envisaged under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, the statement added.

/IANS