Dikhyaa Mohanty The Odisha government and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday for the execution of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0, a major step towards guaranteeing a sustainable drinking water supply. Chief Minister Mohan Majhi of Lok Seva Bhavan in Bhubaneswar, Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil, and State Minister B Somanath of New Delhi attended the virtual event. According to a CMO statement, “the MoU aims to extend the mission’s activities until 2028, building on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to provide tap water connections to every rural household under the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ initiative.”
The Chief Minister noted that 77.3% of rural families nationwide already have access to tap water, praising PM Modi’s visionary leadership. He said that extending JJM till 2028 is an important step in achieving the objective of giving every family access to clean piped drinking water. Majhi stated, “Odisha has prepared a clear roadmap for JJM 2.0.”
He further stated that the state government is emphasising on community participation, financial sustainability, and proper maintenance through a dedicated Operation and Maintenance Policy. “Nearly 5,000 rural piped water schemes have been assigned IDs on the Sujalam Bharat platform, and financial reconciliation for all schemes has been completed,” he said. The state is ensuring 70 litres of drinking water per person per day while contributing to around 40% of the project cost.
“Citizen-centric services have been strengthened through Basudha Helpline, WhatsApp support, and a digital grievance redressal platform. At the grassroots level, Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) are enhancing public involvement. ‘Jal Arpan Divas’ has been successfully observed in 25 out of 30 districts, with plans to extend it to the remaining districts soon,” Majhi informed.
The CM further emphasized how the mission has changed women’s life by eliminating the need for them to go great distances in order to get water. He continued by saying that the Jal Shakti Abhiyan in Odisha has grown into a popular movement that has produced more than 2 lakh watershed projects, 42,000 groundwater recharge projects, 2.21 lakh water conservation and rainwater harvesting structures, and the restoration of over 43,000 water bodies. He also mentioned that more than two crore trees had been planted. According to the Union Minister, JJM 2.0, which started in 2024 and is now extended until 2028, would guarantee water supply in Odisha’s water-scarce districts and significantly enhance the lives of women. He characterized the operation as a crucial effort to guarantee a supply of clean drinking water.
Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Minister Ravi Narayan Nayak, Chief Secretary Anu Garg, Union Secretary, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation Ashok Meena, Development Commissioner-cum-Additional Chief Secretary Deoranjan Kumar Singh, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Sashwat Mishra, Principal Secretary (Finance) Sanjeev Kumar Mishra, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water Department Girish SN, and other senior officials attended the event.
