Lok Sabha Question No. 1928 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-14
Subject: JJM in Bihar
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Janardan Singh Sigriwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO -1928

ANSWERED ON - 14/12/2023

## JJM IN BIHAR

## 1928. SHRI JANARDAN SINGH SIGRIWAL

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:-

- (a) whether the Government has sanctioned funds for the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission
- (JJM) in the State of Bihar;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the status of funds disbursed and utilized during the last three years under JJM;
- (d) the details of works/projects completed under JJM in Bihar; and
- (e) the other measures being taken by the Government to provide safe potable water in Bihar, particularly in rural areas?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR JALSHAKTI (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

(a) to (c) Government of India is committed to make provision for safe & potable tap water supply in adequate quantity, of prescribed quality and on a regular & long-term basis to all rural households in the country. Towards this end, the Government of India launched the Jal Jeevan  Mission  (JJM),  being  implemented  in  partnership  with  States,  since  August  2019, including in Bihar. Drinking Water is a state subject, and hence, the responsibility of planning, approval,  implementation,  operation,  and  maintenance  of  drinking  water  supply  schemes, including  those  under  the  Jal  Jeevan  Mission,  lies  with  State/  UT  Governments.  The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance.

Significant progress has been made in the State since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, towards enhancing access to tap water to rural households. At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission  in  August  2019,  3.23  Crore  rural  households  were  reported  to  have  tap  water connections in country. As on 12.12.2023, 10.55 Crore additional rural households have been provided  with  tap  water  connection.  Thus,  as  on  12.12.2023,  out  of  19.24  Crore  rural households, approximately 13.78 crore (71.62%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.

The details of funds disbursed, funds available and expenditure done under JJM by the State Govt. of Bihar are as under:-

(Amount in Rs. Crore)

NR

|          | Central share   | Central share   | Central share   | Central share   | Central share        | Expenditure under State share   |
|----------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|-----------------|----------------------|---------------------------------|
| Year     | Opening Balance | Fund allocated  | Fund drawn      | Available fund  | Reported utilization |                                 |
| 2019-20  | 313.16          | 787.31          | 417.35          | 730.51          | 473.33               | 150.34                          |
| 2020-21  | 257.18          | 1,839.16        | 353.60          | 610.78          | 551.82               | 374.42                          |
| 2021-22  | 58.95           | 6,608.25        | ND              | 58.95           | 4.00                 | 340.45                          |
| 2022-23  | 54.95           | 4,766.90        | ND              | 54.95           | NR                   | 66.19                           |
| 2023-24* | 54.95           | -               | ND              | 54.95           | NR                   | NR                              |

Source: JJM - IMIS       ND: Not Drawn          NR: Not Reported                             (*As on 11.12.2023)

(d) & (e) A number of steps have been taken to plan and implement JJM in the whole country including Bihar, with speed and at scale, inter alia, including joint discussion and finalization of annual action plan (AAP) of States/ UTs, regular review of implementation, workshops/ conferences/  webinars  for  capacity  building  and  knowledge  sharing,  field  visits  by  multidisciplinary team to provide technical support, etc. Detailed Operational Guidelines for the implementation  of  JJM;  Margdarshika  for  Gram  Panchayats  &  VWSCs  to  provide  safe drinking water in rural households and Guidelines on a special campaign to provide piped water supply in anganwadi centres, ashramshalas and schools have been shared with States/ UTs, to facilitate planning and implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission.  For online monitoring, JJMIntegrated  Management  Information  System  (IMIS)  and  JJM-Dashboard  have  been  put  in place.  Provision  has  also  been  made  for  transparent  online  financial  management  through Public Financial Management System (PFMS). The individual work/ project wise detail is not maintained by the department. Further, for assured delivery of safe water, strengthening, upgradation, improving the functioning of drinking water quality testing laboratories technical and financial support is being given under JJM. As reported by States/ UTs, as on 12.12.2023, there are 122 drinking water quality testing laboratories at different levels viz. State, District, sub-division and/ or block level in the country. Out of 122 laboratories, 12 laboratories have been  accredited/  recognized  by  National  Accreditation  Board  for  Testing  and  Calibration Laboratories (NABL). To encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply, States/ UTs have opened water quality testing laboratories to general public for testing of their water samples at a nominal rate.

In order to empower citizens, States/ UTs have been advised to identify and train 5 persons, preferably women, in every village to conduct water quality testing using Field Testing Kits (FTKs)/  bacteriological  vials  at  village  level  and  report  the  same  on  the  Water  Quality Monitoring Information System (WQMIS) portal. So far, as reported by states/UTs, more than 383 women have been trained for testing water samples using FTKs in the State of Bihar.

*****