Jal Jeevan Mission- Urban Designed to Cover all Indian Cities: Durga Shankar Mishra

Shri Durga Shanker Mishra, Secretary, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has stated that the Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) (JJM (U)) is designed to provide universal coverage of water supply to all households. He added that JJM-U will lead to competition among cities to become more water secure and will create more awareness and sensitivity towards water conservation.

Shri Mishra said while launching the Pilot Pey Jal Survekshan last evening that based on the learnings of the pilot, this survekshan will be extended to all the AMRUT cities. The mission will further work towards minimising water distribution losses to reduce non revenue water from current 40-50% to nearly 20%. Improving water quality is a major component of the mission so that the objective of ‘drink from tap’ can be realized. Further, treatment and reuse of waste water generated will be another important focus area.

Pilot on Pey Jal Survekshan has been launched in 10 cities namely Agra, Badlapur, Bhubaneswar, Churu, Kochi, Madurai, Patiala, Rohtak, Surat and Tumkur. 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. Mission will be monitored through a technology-based platform on which beneficiary response will be monitored along with progress and output-outcome.

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. 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). The total outlay proposed for JJM(U) is ₹2,87,000 crore which includes ₹10,000 crore for continuing financial support to AMRUT Mission.