Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) (JJMU) to help revive urban waterbodies

• Be N By IAS, Delhi
• 03, Feb 2021

For : GS-II – Government Schemes and Programmes; Governance issues

CONTEXT: The urban water supply mission announced in the Budget on Monday will include rejuvenation of waterbodies and 20% of supply from reused water, the Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry said on Tuesday.

JAL JEEVAN MISSION URBAN:

• It was launched in Union Budget 2021-22.
• Aim: To bring safe water to 2.86 crore households through tap connection. This in line with the Centre’s rural water supply project launched in 2019.
• Fund: Rs 50,011 crore
• Target year: 2024.
• The mission is the country’s 12th attempt to connect every household with tap water.
• India has failed miserably to fulfil its past promises around this objective.
• Jal Jeevan Mission (Rural) has been able to cover only around 34 % of the targeted households (65.5 million) in rural India,

SIGNIFICANCE OF JJMU:

• Lack of urban household tap connections: Ministry said there was an estimated gap of 2.68 crore urban household tap connections.
  • Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) (JJMU) would seek to bridge this gap
  • In all 4,378 statutory towns.
• AMRUT Scheme and Sewer Connections: The JJMU would also aim to bridge the gap of 2.64 crore sewer connections in the 500 cities under the existing Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT).
• Rejuvenation of water bodies: The mission would include rejuvenation of water bodies to
  • Boost the sustainable freshwater supply and
  • Creation of green spaces.
• Circular economy of water: “JJM(U) will promote circular economy of water through development of city water balance plan for each city focusing on
  • Recycle/reuse of treated sewage,
  • Rejuvenation of water bodies and
  • Water conservation.”
• Total expenditure: The total expenditure on the mission would be ₹2.87 lakh crore over five years.

15TH FINANCE ON ULBs:

• Increased funds to urban local bodies: Apart from the Budget announcements, the Ministry said there had been an increase in the funds to urban local bodies as per the 15th Finance Commission’s report.
  • 78% increase, from ₹87,143 crore in the 14th Finance Commission
  • To ₹1,55,628 crore in the 15th Finance Commission’s period.

Source: The Hindu
MCQs:
Q. Recently Jal Jeevan Mission (Urban) was launched in Union Budget 2021-22. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding it?

1. It aims to bring safe water to 2.86 crore households through tap connection.
2. The Target year has been kept as 2024.
3. Jal Jeevan Mission (Rural) has been able to cover more than 50 % of the targeted households in rural India.

Select the correct answer using the code below.

• a) 1 and 2 only
• b) 2 only
• c) 2 and 3 only
• d) 3 only

ANS: A