27/01/2020 - Social Justice | GS II | G.S II - Social Justice | Mainstorming

IAS Parliament 4 years

KEY POINTS

· According to a report by the National Commission for Women, on an average, a rural woman in Rajasthan walks over 2.5 km to reach a water source.

· The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims at providing Har Ghar Jal or piped water supply to all households by 2024. While 57 per cent of the country is covered with public stand posts for their daily water supply, the JJM will connect individual households to appropriate and adequate water supply. Currently, only 18 per cent of rural households have this amenity.

· The new Ministry of Jal Shakti breaks the silos in which the water sector had been working in, allowing for institutional integration from the centre till the grass roots.

· The schemes are being designed with local flexibility to allow for effective adaptivity to local situations.

· Source sustainability is being mandatorily built into schemes to ensure that every drop of water is recycled and reused.

· These efforts must take form of a jan andolan for water to ensure the overall water security of our great nation.

· With women playing a leadership role in managing their community’s water resources, minus the drudgery of walking for miles to fetch water for their families, the Jal Jeevan Mission will provide a massive fillip to the ease of living for women, and they will no longer be beasts of burden.

· The signs are all there and the winds of change are in tandem with the mood of the nation. For real change, it is optimal that we ensure that the real heads of the households our mothers and sisters continue to be at the centre of our country’s development agenda.