JalJeevanSamvad-March-2022-en

Jal Jeevan Samvad – March 2022 presents the progress, achievements and field-level experiences of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with a particular emphasis on water conservation, groundwater sustainability, greywater management and community participation. The issue reports the progressive coverage of Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) across States and Union Territories and provides comparative information on rural household tap-water coverage, including coverage of schools and Anganwadi Centres. As reflected in the issue, rural household tap-water coverage had increased from 3.23 crore (17%) at the launch of JJM to 9.37 crore (48.51%) as on 31 March 2022. A major theme of the March edition is water conservation and water security. The issue discusses groundwater as an important source of water, the need for sustainable management of water resources, rainwater harvesting, artificial recharge, renovation of traditional water bodies, watershed development and other measures for improving source sustainability. The publication also gives considerable attention to greywater management, including the launch of Sujalam 2.0, which seeks to mobilize communities, Panchayats, schools and Anganwadis for greywater management and Solid and Liquid Waste Management activities. Another important focus is community-led implementation and women's participation. The issue highlights the role of Gram Panchayats, Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs)/Pani Samitis and local communities in planning, implementation, operation and maintenance of rural water-supply systems. It also emphasizes women's representation and leadership in village-level water management. The issue contains State-specific stories and good practices from Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, covering women's grassroots leadership, source sustainability, community empowerment, traditional groundwater conservation practices, transformation of remote villages and partnerships for assured tap-water supply. It also documents field activities, review meetings and regional initiatives, including the localization of Sustainable Development Goals through Panchayati Raj Institutions, water-sufficient villages and community-managed implementation of JJM.