The Modi government achieved a major landmark just one day before the declaration of the dates for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. 75% of rural families in the nation now have access to tap water thanks to the efforts of the Modi administration. Running water is now available in homes even for those who live in remote places. The images of women carrying pots of water will soon become a thing of the past thanks to the efforts of Modi government. Water has been successfully provided to three-fourths of rural households in the country by the Modi government through the tap water in every house in “Jal Jeevan Mission.”
“Jal Jeevan Mission” is one of the most ambitious schemes of the Modi government. It is crucial to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision for a developed India. The previous five years witnessed significant financial outlays by Modi administration to guarantee that tap water is available in every village across the country.
Currently, an assessment of the Modi government’s performance during his second term is being conducted prior to the Lok Sabha election. During this time, the government has been successful in resolving a lot of fundamental issues. During Modi government tenure, people have benefited from gas cylinders provided by “Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana”, and homes provided by “Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.” The Modi administration has also exceeded 75% of the target under the “Jal Jeevan Mission” scheme, the program launched to resolve the water crisis across the nation.
The majority of people in the country still reside in villages. However, before 2014, no particular action was taken to provide these villages with basic necessities like water. It never occurred to any authority that even in the nation’s villages, safe drinking water could be obtained through taps at home. Photographs of women walking several kilometres to collect water continued to surface, but the successive governments did nothing to address the problem.
The situation was not good before the “Jal Jeevan Mission”
On 15th August 2019, PM Modi announced the “Jal Jeevan Mission” from Red Fort during his Independence Day speech. The Prime Minister stated that the initiative will put an end to the nation’s water crisis. It was significant because the majority of the country’s communities lacked access to tap water before the commencement of this project, and people experienced several water-related diseases due to lack of access to clean water. According to data from the Ministry of Water Resources, only sixteen per cent of the 19.3 crore rural households in the country were provided with tap water in 2019. In other words, from 1947 to 2019, just 3.23 crore rural homes nationwide recieved tap water.
Only 10 states in the union had more than 50% of their residents living in villages with the availability of safe drinking water as of 2019. Less than 5% of remote families had access to water in major states like Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Jal Jeevan mission was brought about to combat this scarcity of water.
“Jal Jeevan Mission” transformed the situation
The Jal Jeevan Mission was started in 2019, and has since expanded swiftly, achieving village-to-village water connections. According to a Ministry of Jal Shakti report, 75% of the nation’s homes presently have tap water connections. Out of the 19.3 crore rural families in the nation, 14.5 crore at present have access to clean water.
11.2 crore households have been linked under the scheme since the “Jal Jeevan Mission” began. More than 16 crore rural homes across the nation didn’t have a connection to tap water when the program was launched. Seventy per cent of these residences have water connection now. Water is being supplied even to far-flung regions of the country under the scheme.
The “Jal Jeevan Mission” has been the focus of government efforts during Modi administration’s second term. Villages have constructed water tanks in response to help address the water problem, through which water is being delivered. In addition, each neighbourhood now has water pipelines installed. The women in these 11 crore homes no longer have to travel great distances to get water since they have a direct supply. There is even no need to be concerned about the cleanliness and safety of the water.
70% of respondents to a News18 survey, carried out in the run-up to the upcoming general elections, reportedly benefited from the government’s “Jal Jeevan Mission” program. Together with “Ujjwala Yojana” and other schemes, the survey called the mission highly effective.
Haryana-Gujarat connect 100% of households while Bengal-Jharkhand lag behind
11 states and UTs in the country, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Goa, Haryana, Telangana, Puducherry, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram is now fully provided with access to tap water. 100% of the homes in these states now have access to tap water.
Furthermore, tap water is available to over 90% of homes in states like Uttarakhand and Bihar. All across the country, with the exception of two states, more than 50% of rural families now get water. However, it is worrisome how poorly some governments have performed in putting this plan into action. West Bengal, a state headed by the Trinamool Congress, has been dragging its feet on the program’s execution. Just 45% of homes in West Bengal now have access to tap water. Meanwhile, just 51% of homes in Jharkhand, and 52% of homes in Kerala have access to tap water. Rajasthan also has still less than 50% coverage under the scheme.
Rs 1.82 lakh crore has been spent by the central government on the project until now and is increasing its contribution to the scheme every year. Rs 66,023 crore was allocated for this scheme in the year 2023-24, while Rs 54,744 crore was given in 2022-23.
The Modi administration will put forward the development made in the last ten years before people in this Lok Sabha poll. It will continue to promote the “Jal Jeevan Mission” and link it with popular initiatives like the “Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana” and “Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana.” The rural population will also be significantly impacted by this appeal. The people’s standard of living has improved as a result of the water problem being resolved and consequently they might vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party in these elections on this issue.