In News: Launching a new project to install water connections to every urban household, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has selected 10 pilot cities to survey for the Jal Jeevan Mission-Urban by March 2021.
About Pey Jal Survekshan
- A Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan under Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban has been launched. Pey Jal Survekshan will be conducted in cities to ascertain equitable distribution of water, reuse of wastewater and mapping of water bodies with respect to quantity and quality of water through a challenge process.
- As the first step a pilot project will be launched in 10 cities namely Agra, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, Patiala, Rohtak, Surat and Tumkur. Based on the learnings of the pilot, this survekshan will be extended to all the AMRUT cities.
- Data on drinking water, waste water management, non-revenue water and condition of 3 water bodies in the city will be collected through face-to-face interviews with citizens and municipal officials as per the approved questionnaire, on-call interviews, water sample collection and laboratory testing, and field survey for non-revenue water.
- Mission will be monitored through a technology-based platform on which beneficiary response will be monitored along with progress and output-outcome. Funding from the Government for projects will be in three tranches of 20:40:40. Third instalment will be released based on functional outcomes achieved and credible exclusion will be exercised while funding.
Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) (JJM (U))
- Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) (JJM (U)) is designed to provide universal coverage of water supply to all households through functional taps in all 4,378 statutory towns in accordance with SDG Goal- 6.
- Also, sewerage/septage management in 500 AMRUT cities with the objective of making them water secure are the major focus areas under JJM (U). Estimated gap in urban household tap connections is 2.68 crore and estimated gap in sewer connections/septage in 500 AMRUT cities is 2.64 crore, which is proposed to be covered in JJM (U).
- Rejuvenation of water bodies to augment sustainable fresh water supply and creating green spaces and sponge cities to reduce floods and enhance amenity value through an Urban Aquifer Management plan are other focus areas.
- JJM (U) will promote circular economy of water through development of a city water balance plan for each city focusing on recycle/reuse of treated sewage, rejuvenation of water bodies and water conservation. 20% of water demand to be met by reused water with development of institutional mechanisms. A Technology Sub-Mission for water is proposed to leverage latest global technologies in the field of water. Information, Education and Communication (IEC) campaign is proposed to spread awareness among masses about conservation of water.
- Mission also has a reform agenda, under which City Water Potability Index, reduction in non-revenue water, municipal finance reforms, rain water harvesting, recycle water to meet at least 20% total water demand by 2025 and rejuvenating three water bodies per ULB are the key proposed reforms. The ULBs will be incentivized for successful implementation of the reforms.
- For North East and Hill States, central funding for projects will be 90%. For Union Territories, central funding will be 100%. For cities with less than 1 lakh population, central funding will be 50%; for cities with 1 lakh to 10 lakh population, central funding will be one third; and for cities with million plus population, central funding will be 25%.
Source: PIB and Indian Express
