As per a recent report of WHO, titled “Estimating potential health gains from increased access to safely managed drinking water services following the Jal Jeevan Mission initiative”, it is estimated that provisioning of safely managed drinking-water in the country would result in averting almost 4,00,000 diarrheal disease deaths across the country. It is also estimated in the report that with the universal coverage of safely managed drinking water in India, almost 14 million DALYs (Disability Adjusted Life Years) are estimated to be averted, resulting in estimated cost savings upto Rs 8.2 lakh Crore.
Rural women and adolescent girls spend a lot of time and energy in getting water for day-to-day use. This results in lack of participation of women in income generation opportunities, loss of school days for girls and adverse health impacts. Assured availability of drinking water in the household premises not only improves the health and socioeconomic condition of rural population especially women but also brings down the drudgery of rural women and girls. The said report of WHO also asserts that providing tap connection to every rural household would result in significant time saved on watercollection (5.5 crore hours each day), especially among women.
United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6.1 aims to achieve universal and equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water for all by 2030.
The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)-Har Ghar Jal is being implemented by Government of India in partnership with States/UTs to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household of the country, by 2024, much earlier than 2030- the SDG 6.1global timeline, hence influencing achievement of SDG 6.1 positively.
As on 04.08.2023, out of 19.4 Crore rural households in the country, provision of tap water supply has been made to 12.7 Crore (65.5%) rural households.
This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.