Bhubaneswar: In a major step towards strengthening drinking water supply in rural areas, an MoU was signed between the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Government of Odisha for effective implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, which will continue till 2028.
The agreement was signed during a virtual event attended by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi from Lok Seva Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, while Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Patil and Minister of State V. Somanna joined from New Delhi.
The Chief Minister said the Mission has brought a major change in the lives of women, as they no longer have to travel long distances to collect water.
On this occasion, Chief Minister Majhi thanked the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for starting the Jal Jeevan Mission and said that 77.3 percent of the families in the country have got tap connection till now. He said that the extension of this mission till 2028 has been approved by the Union Cabinet and this is a significant step towards achieving the goal of ‘Har Ghar Jal’.
He said that under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, the state government has prepared a clear roadmap. Emphasis is being placed on public participation, financial stability and proper maintenance through Operation and Maintenance Policy. IDs of about 5,000 rural piped water schemes have been prepared through the Sujalam Bharat app and financial coordination of all the schemes has been completed. While 70 litres of drinking water has been arranged for each person per day in Odisha, the state government is spending about 40 percent of the funds on this mission. Citizen-centric services have been strengthened through BASUDHA Helpline, WhatsApp service and digital grievance platform.
At the village level, public participation has increased through Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC) and “Jal Arpan Diwas” has been successfully celebrated in 25 out of 30 districts. It will be done in the remaining districts soon.
The Chief Minister said that this mission has brought a big change in the lives of women, as now they do not have to go far to fetch water. “Jal Shakti Abhiyan” has taken the form of a mass movement in Odisha. Under this, 2.21 lakh water conservation and rainwater harvesting structures, more than 43 thousand water bodies have been restored, 42 thousand groundwater recharge and more than 2 lakh watershed works have been completed. Similarly, more than 2 crore trees have been planted.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister C. R Patil said that this scheme, which was started in 2024, has been extended till 2026-2028 through Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 with the aim to improve the lives of women. This mission is to ensure availability of water in Odisha where there is water shortage, he mentioned.
