Prime Minister Narendra Modi on October 2 launched the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission App’ for improving awareness among stakeholders and for greater transparency and accountability of schemes under the Mission.
The prime Minister also launched ‘Rashtriya Jal Jeevan Kosh’, where any individual, institution, corporation, or philanthropist, be it in India or abroad, can contribute to help provide tap water connection in every rural household, school, Anganwadi centre, ashram shala, and other public institutions.
During the online launch, Modi noted that the vision of Jal Jeevan Mission was not just to make water accessible to the people. It was also a big movement of Decentralization. “This is a village-driven- women-driven Movement. Its main base is a mass movement and public participation, he added.
The Prime Minister recalled that Gandhiji used to say that the real meaning of ‘Gram Swaraj’ is to be full of self-confidence. “That’s why it has been my constant effort that this thinking of Gram Swaraj should move forward towards accomplishments,” he said. Modi also recalled the measures taken during his tenure as Chief Minister of Gujarat for Gram Swaraj such as , Nirmal Gaon for ODF villages, Jal Mandir Abhiyan to revive old Baories and wells in villages, Jyotirgram for 24 hour electricity in villages, Teerth Gram for camaraderie in villages, e-Gram for broadband in villages. “Jal Jeevan Mission and Paani Samities are a key example of the Central Government’s commitment to Gram Swaraj,” he said.
LACK OF THOUGHT
Referring to popular conceptions of the problem of water, Modi talked of movies, stories, poems that tell in detail how women and children of the village walked miles to fetch water. “In the minds of some people, this picture emerges as soon as the name of the village is taken,” he said.
Pointing out that only a few people thought about the question: why do these people have to go to some river or pond every day, after all, why does the water not reach these people?. “I think those who had the responsibility of policy-making for a long time, should have asked themselves this question. Perhaps the earlier policy-makers did not realize the importance of water as they came from water abundant areas,” he said.
Since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019, 5 crore households have been connected with water connections. Today, water is reaching every household in about 1.25 lakh villages in about 80 districts of the country. In the Aspirational districts the number of tap connections have increased from 31 lakh to 1.16 crore.
OTHER WELFARE MEASURES
The Prime Minister enumerated measures to improve the health and safety of the daughters of the country. He informed that measures like toilets in every home and school, affordable sanitary pads, nutrition support during pregnancy and immunisation have strengthened the ‘MatraShakti’. He informed that most of the 2.5 crore houses constructed in the villages are in the name of women, Ujjwala has relieved women of smoke-filled life. Women are being integrated with atma nirbharta mission via Self Help Groups and these groups have increased three fold in the last seven years. He also informed that there has been 13 times increase in the last seven years in support to women under National Livelihood Mission as compared to five preceding years to 2014.
