Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Tuesday urged the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti to integrate the state's 'jal sahiyas' (water volunteers) into the framework of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). The request was made during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the state government and the ministry for the rollout of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0.
Grassroots Workforce for Water Management
Hemant informed the central delegation that Jharkhand has mobilized a robust grassroots workforce of approximately 30,000 'jal sahiyas' to oversee and manage local drinking water distribution systems. Currently, the state pays each volunteer a monthly honorarium of Rs 2,000. The Chief Minister requested the Centre to provide financial assistance for these honorariums and to embed a dedicated 'jal sahiya component' into the central scheme.
Commitment to Tap Water Coverage
Affirming Jharkhand's commitment to achieving absolute tap water coverage, Hemant stated that the state is working on a 'mission mode' to ensure JJM benefits reach the last mile. “The state government is continuously striving to coordinate effectively with the Centre to accelerate our execution pace,” he said.
Bureaucratic Bottlenecks and NOC Issues
Highlighting bureaucratic bottlenecks, the Chief Minister pointed out that the creation of water supply infrastructure often overlaps with the jurisdiction of various central agencies. “Pipeline networks need to traverse terrains managed by government departments. Consequently, securing no-objection certificates (NOCs) occasionally emerges as a major roadblock,” Hemant explained. He emphasized that an agile, joint mechanism between the Centre and the state could fast-track pending NOCs, ensuring the action plan meets its deadlines.
Funding Crunch and Pending Dues
Hemant stated that drinking water projects valued at Rs 24,635 crore have been implemented in the state since 2019-20. However, he flagged a funding crunch, apprising the ministry that funds had not been released by the Centre for 2024-25 and 2025-26. He pressed for the immediate release of the central share to maintain momentum.
According to state data, Jharkhand has successfully completed 55% of its targeted piped water supply projects so far. In contrast, central grants received cover only 46% of the completed works. Addressing this disparity, the Chief Minister requested the immediate clearance of pending central assistance amounting to around Rs 6,500 crore.
Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 Targets
With the signing of JJM 2.0, the state aims to bridge remaining infrastructure gaps to achieve 100% coverage across all households by December 2028. A financial outlay of Rs 2,500 crore has been earmarked for Jharkhand under JJM 2.0 to realize this target.
Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, Union Minister of State V Somanna, and Minister for Drinking Water and Sanitation Yogendra Prasad, among others, were present at the event.
