Manipur and Bihar sign reform-linked MoUs under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0

The MoUs mandate a Gram Panchayat-led, service-based and community-centred model of rural water governance, aiming for assured, quality drinking water to every rural household.

What happened

• Reform-linked Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 with two States — Manipur and Bihar — advancing accountable, community-driven rural water governance.
• The reform-linked MoU mandates a Gram Panchayat-led, service-based and community-centred model of rural water governance, aligned with the objectives of JJM 2.0.
• It seeks to ensure that every rural household has access to drinking water in adequate quantity and of prescribed quality on a regular basis, through strengthened community participation — contributing to long-term water security and Viksit Bharat @2047.
• The Manipur MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister of Jal Shakti Shri C. R. Patil and Chief Minister Shri Yumnam Khemchand Singh; the Bihar MoU in the presence of the Union Minister, MoS Dr. Raj Bhushan Choudhary and the State PHE Minister.
• Senior officials of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) and the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) steered the signings, marking a pivotal moment in Centre-State collaboration on rural water.

For Prelims

• Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): Launched on 15 August 2019 to provide a Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) — 'Har Ghar Jal' — to every rural household, with 55 litres per capita per day (LPCD) of potable water; a Centrally Sponsored Scheme (50:50 Centre-State, special ratios for NE/Himalayan States and UTs).
• JJM 2.0: The next phase emphasising sustainability, service delivery and community/Gram Panchayat-led governance (operation & maintenance, water quality and source sustainability) via reform-linked MoUs.
• Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS): The nodal department under the Ministry of Jal Shakti implementing JJM and the Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin). The National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) is its mission arm.
• Pani Samiti / VWSC: The Village Water and Sanitation Committee (a sub-committee of the Gram Panchayat) that plans, implements and operates village water-supply schemes — the heart of JJM's community-led model.
• 73rd Constitutional Amendment link: Water supply and sanitation are subjects devolved to Panchayats (11th Schedule) — the constitutional basis for the Gram Panchayat-led governance the MoU mandates.
• 'Reform-linked': Central support tied to State commitments on governance reforms (community ownership, O&M, tariffs, water-quality monitoring) — incentivising outcomes over mere asset creation.
• Don't confuse: JJM (rural drinking water, Jal Shakti) is distinct from AMRUT (urban water/sewerage, MoHUA) and from the Namami Gange programme; '55 LPCD' is the JJM service norm for rural FHTCs.

For Mains

Syllabus: GS2.13 · GS2.15 · Linkage L2