Jalmani Guidelines 2008

About Dataset

Jalmani Guidelines 2008 is a policy and implementation document issued by the Department of Drinking Water Supply Ministry of Rural Development Government of India for introducing stand alone drinking water purification systems in rural schools under the Jalmani programme. The initiative was launched as a value addition to the existing Rural Drinking Water Supply Programme with the objective of providing safe drinking water at the point of consumption especially for school children who are vulnerable to waterborne diseases. The programme was announced in the Union Budget for 2008 2009 with a fully centrally funded allocation to install purification systems in approximately one lakh rural schools across the country. The guidelines explain that although rural water supply schemes provide safe water at the source the quality of water may deteriorate before consumption because of contamination during storage handling and distribution. To address this challenge the programme promotes installation of stand alone drinking water purification systems capable of delivering safe potable water within school premises. A High Level Technical Committee comprising experts from scientific institutions government departments and technical agencies was constituted to evaluate available technologies recommend suitable treatment options determine indicative price ranges and periodically review technological developments. The document defines the roles and responsibilities of the Department of Drinking Water Supply State Governments Panchayati Raj Institutions Village Water and Sanitation Committees School Management Committees manufacturers and suppliers. It prescribes a one hundred percent centrally sponsored funding pattern project based implementation monitoring through national state district and village level committees and integration with the National Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Programme. State Governments are responsible for selecting appropriate purification technologies procuring systems according to financial rules monitoring implementation maintaining online information systems and ensuring effective convergence with health education sanitation and rural development programmes. The guidelines recommend purification technologies based on ultrafiltration filtration radiation and hybrid systems while emphasizing safe reject management for technologies such as reverse osmosis and ion exchange. Capital cost limits operation and maintenance requirements product certification laboratory testing quality assurance and manufacturer responsibility for five years of maintenance are clearly defined. Village Panchayats are entrusted with ensuring effective operation of systems while school authorities retain ownership of installed units. The programme also encourages capacity building awareness generation community participation and periodic water quality testing to ensure sustained delivery of safe drinking water. The document further includes detailed terms of reference for the High Level Technical Committee covering technology evaluation environmental safety operation cost product quality maintenance requirements and suitability for rural schools. Overall the Jalmani Guidelines provide a comprehensive implementation framework for improving drinking water quality in rural educational institutions through appropriate technology institutional coordination scientific monitoring and community participation thereby contributing to better health learning outcomes and safe drinking water access for school children.