Day 88 – Q.3 The Nal Se Jal initiative aims to provide piped water supply to every household in rural India by 2024. What is the socio-economic impact of this initiative, and how does it contribute to the broader goal of universal access to water and sanitation? What are the major challenges in implementing this initiative? Examine.

The Nal Se Jal initiative aims to provide piped water supply to every household in rural India by 2024. What is the socio-economic impact of this initiative, and how does it contribute to the broader goal of universal access to water and sanitation? What are the major challenges in implementing this initiative? Examine.

नल से जल पहल का उद्देश्य 2024 तक ग्रामीण भारत में हर घर में पाइप से पानी की आपूर्ति करना है। इस पहल का सामाजिक-आर्थिक प्रभाव क्या है, और यह पानी और स्वच्छता तक सार्वभौमिक पहुंच के व्यापक लक्ष्य में कैसे योगदान देता है? इस पहल को लागू करने में प्रमुख चुनौतियां क्या हैं? परीक्षण करें।

Approach 

Candidates can start the answer with basic idea of Nal Se Jal initiative as the component of Jal Jivan Mission, explain the impacts of such initiative socioeconomically to broader goals. Also highlight the major challenges while implementing this initiative.

Introduction

It is a component of the government’s Jal Jivan Mission to provide piped drinking water to every rural home by 2024. The scheme is based on a unique model where paani samitis (water committee) comprising villagers will decide what they will pay for the water they consume.

Body

The initiative has a significant socio-economic impact on rural and urban communities in India:

• Improved Health: The availability of clean and safe drinking water can significantly improve the health of people. The absence of proper sanitation and clean water supply can lead to the spread of waterborne diseases. With the Nal Se Jal initiative, access to safe drinking water will improve, which can reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases.
• Increased Productivity: With access to safe drinking water, people can spend more time on productive activities, such as farming, which is the main source of livelihood for many people in rural areas. This can lead to increased productivity and economic growth.
• Improved health and hygiene: The initiative is expected to improve the health and hygiene of rural households by providing safe and clean drinking water, which will reduce the incidence of waterborne diseases.
• Time-saving: Access to piped water supply will save time and effort for rural households, especially women, who are traditionally responsible for collecting water from distant sources.
• Increased access to sanitation: The initiative will also lead to increased access to sanitation facilities, as piped water supply can be used for household toilets.
• Environmental benefits: The initiative will reduce the dependency on groundwater sources, which will help in the conservation of groundwater resources and contribute to the overall environmental sustainability.

The nal se jal initiative, which aims to provide piped water supply to every household by 2024, faces several challenges. Some of the major challenges are:

• Infrastructure: The biggest challenge in implementing the nal se jal initiative is the lack of infrastructure in many areas, particularly in rural areas. Building a piped water supply system requires significant investment in infrastructure, including pipes, pumps, and treatment plants.
• Funding: The initiative requires significant funding to build the necessary infrastructure, and the government may face challenges in securing sufficient funding for the initiative.
• Political will: The success of the initiative also depends on political will and administrative capacity to execute the plan effectively at the local level.
• Water quality: Ensuring the quality of the water supply is a critical challenge, as contamination and pollution of water sources can lead to health hazards and undermine the effectiveness of the initiative.
• Behavioural change: The success of the initiative also depends on changing the behaviour of people in terms of water usage, conservation and hygiene practices.
• Inter-state disputes: Some of the states may have inter-state disputes over sharing of water resources, which could hamper the progress of the initiative.
• Climate change: Climate change can affect the availability of water resources, and therefore, the sustainability of the initiative.

Conclusion