Taking drinking water to 200 million households

The Jal Jeevan Mission uses predictive data analytics and lot to make sure transparency and accountability is maintained. On a pilot basis, loT systems have been implemented in various states

Clean drinking water - a phrase that seems so simple and is an essential entity that every living being has the right over. Nevertheless, what a large majority of people often do not realise is that supplying drinking water involves so much more than just administering taps in every household. The painstaking process consists of monitoring the quality and quantity of water being supplied, while also ensuring that citizens are supplied with adequate drinking water that is free from contaminants. Furthermore, to ensure transparency, accountability and efficiency in the process, there is substantial use of technology that also comes into the picture.

"THE CLEAN WATER NEEDS TO BE SUPPLIED IN ADEQUATE QUANTITY, IN PRESCRIBED QUALITY, ON REGULAR AND LONG TERM BASIS, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY WITH ADEQUATE PRESSURE SO THAT CITIZENS NEVER GO WITHOUT DRINKING WATER.

- Bharat Lal, Secretary of Lokpal

Keeping these points in mind, the Government of India envisioned and executed the Jal Jeevan Mission on 15 August 2019, with an aim of “Har Ghar Jal” (water in every rural household). There are roughly 19 crore 20 lakh rural households in India and making portable water available to every single household in India is nowhere as simple and is a meticulous process that involves the hard work of thousands of people across the country. The man who was once entrusted with executing and delivering this onerous undertaking, Bharat Lal, spoke to Dataquest about every single aspect of what the vision of Har Ghar Jal entails. (Note: All the inputs for the story was given to Dataquest by Bharat Lal in his capacity as Additional Secretary and Mission Director of Jal Jeevan Mission. He is now the Secretary of Lokpal.)