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No. W-11039/1/2020-JJM-III-DDWS Government of India Ministry of Jal Shakti Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) Subject: Record of discussions on Annual Action Plan (2020-21) of Rajasthan to achieve 100% FHTCs under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – regarding A meeting to consider Annual Action Plan (AAP) for the planning and implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Rajasthan in 2020-21 was held on 20 May, 2020 at 10:00 AM through VC. List of participants is at Annex–I. 2. Additional Secretary & Mission Director, NJJM extended a warm welcome to the Secretary, DWS; Rajasthan team and other participants. 3. The Additional Secretary & Mission Director, NJJM detailed the salient aspects of Jal Jeevan Mission and the ongoing exercise to finalize the AAP. Giving an overview of the Mission, he mentioned about the expectations from the State Government. Setting the agenda for the discussion, he emphasized to take full advantage of existing piped water supply systems in villages by taking up retrofitting/ augmentation to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to remaining households so as the village become 100% ‘Har Ghar Jal Gaon’ i.e. 100% FHTCs village. This is the low-hanging fruit, which has been emphasized since August, 2019 and will yield tangible outcomes with least investment in very little time. He stressed on the principle of ‘equity and inclusiveness’, which needs to be followed to ensure that the SCs/ STs, marginalized and weaker sections of the society get access to potable water through FHTCs without any discrimination especially when there is PWS scheme in the village. Moreover, as already stipulated in JJM guidelines, retrofitting/ augmentation measures for all completed/ ongoing PWS scheme is required to be taken up on priority in first two years and completed by March, 2021. 4. He mentioned that as per interim order passed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the State Government has to ensure piped water supply to all households in all Arsenic/ Fluoride affected habitations/ villages latest by December, 2020. In such habitations where people are not getting safe water through piped connections, as an interim measure, provision for water supply @ 8 – 10 lpcd should be made for cooking and drinking purpose by installing Community Water Purification Plants. Similarly, emphasis to be given on providing FHTCs in other priority areas viz. aspirational districts, SC/ ST dominated villages, water scarce areas, SAGY villages, PVTG habitations, and quality-affected areas. 5. AS & Mission Director also mentioned that the Government of India is supporting States in every possible manner and JJM is a great opportunity for the State to ensure supply of safe drinking water to each and every rural household. This opportunity should not be frittered away. He regretted that even after 8 months of launching of such a life changing Mission for rural people especially poor, SCs, STs and marginalized people especially women and girls, no significant progress in providing FHTCs in the State has been observed despite several meetings and visits to Rajasthan State. In villages where piped Page 1 of 18 water system is in place, tap connections is not given at all. Even all the basic institutional mechanism is still not in place in the State and not a single VAP has been prepared during the 2019-20. He emphasized early constitution of User Committees i.e. Pani Samiti’s or Village Water & Sanitation Committee and its role in planning, implementation, management, operation and maintenance of in-village infrastructure and preparation of Village Action Plan (VAP) for the same. It was highlighted that the community should be engaged for surveillance of water quality in villages including in Aanganwadi, schools, etc. while PHED to monitor the quality of water supplied. Engaging a multi-disciplinary team in the form of PMU at the State as well as well as district level is an absolute necessity for rigorous planning, analysis, project implementation, concurrent monitoring, etc. 6. He underlined the importance of proper planning and commensurate expenditure management for better fund utilization. Considering the huge unspent balance as on 01.04.2020, AS & Mission Director asked the Principal Secretary, PHED, Government of Rajasthan to review the financial progress and make a monthly output plan in terms of number of FHTCs and commensurate expenditure plan for prudent financial management and smooth implementation of the Mission in the State. It was informed that there is a need for holistic planning at the lowest level i.e. village/ GP, for source strengthening, water harvesting, aquifer recharge, water treatment, grey water management, water security, O&M etc., for which dovetailing of resources from MGNREGS, 15th FC Grants for PRIs, SBM, DMDF, CSR funds, Local Area Development funds, etc. should be done. It was advised that community should be encouraged to get involved, so that they must plan, manage, implement, operate and maintain the village water supply scheme/ system meant for them. This decentralized, demand-driven and community-managed approach will lead to long- term sustainability of the water supply sources and system including assured water services delivery. Drinking water infrastructure development should be perceived as an approach for attaining service delivery. He then requested the State to make a presentation on their AAP 2020-21. 7. Principal Secretary, PHED, Government of Rajasthan made the presentation on State’s proposed AAP for 2020-21 covering various planned activities and funds required for the same. He presented the plan for providing FHTCs to 10,43,792 households, which is 29.85% of annual target of 34,96,563 households with cumulative target of 22.5% in 2020-21, 37.2% in 2021-22, 64.94 in 2022-23 and 100% by 2023-24. He also proposed to provide 9,67,992 FHTCs through retrofitting and augmentation of existing infrastructure at a cost of Rs. 62,757 per household connection. In Priority area planning, it was proposed 4.91% of balanced FHTCs in Aspirational district, 16.53% of balanced FHTCs in SAGY villages, 8.22% of balanced FHTCs in DPAP/ DDP blocks and 11.52% in SC/ ST dominated villages. The salient features of the AAP and observations of Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation on the individual components are enclosed at Annex–II. 8. Detailed discussion were held on the FHTCs coverage proposed for the year and over the mission period; priorities to be assigned for saturation approach; priority area planning; support activities; water quality monitoring and surveillance; institutional preparedness to implement the mission in the State; financial planning; and operation and maintenance of both existing and new assets to be created. Page 2 of 18 9. Representative of Ministry of Rural Development urged the State for effective utilization of MGNREGS funds for strengthening of drinking water sources to achieve water security. Similarly, officer from Ministry of Panchayati Raj informed about the 15th FC Grants for PRIs allocation for the State of Rajasthan for the purpose of water and sanitation, which could be used for achieving the goal of JJM. 10. In addition, following comments were also made on AAP for 2020-21 submitted by State. The state was requested to revise the AAP plan and upload on the IMIS of the department in 10 days for final consideration and approval; i.) out of the total 1,21,526 habitations in the State, around 48,000 habitations have some type of PWS scheme and in these habitations, there are 61 lakh households. Out of these 61 lakh households, only 12 lakh households i.e. about 20% have household tap connections. The principle of ‘equity and inclusiveness’ must be followed while reviewing all the villages to identify wherein retrofitting/ augmentation of existing schemes can be taken up for FHTC saturation in villages without any further delay; ii.) State has proposed only 10.43 lakh households with tap connections in 2020-21 i.e. 11.73% of the remaining households against the target of 34.96 lakh households (40% of remaining households). State has proposed 100% FHTC Coverage of all households by 2023-24 out of which 11.7% in 2020-21, 16.86% in 2021-22, 31.5% in 2022-23 and 40% during 2023-24. The FHTC coverage may be evenly planned and all low hanging fruits i.e. retrofitting and augmentation of all existing PWS schemes should be taken up for providing FHTCs and completed this year. The village–wise analysis of PWS schemes is at Annex-III; iii.) priority must be given on retrofitting/ augmentation of completed/ ongoing PWS schemes to provide FHTCs and saturate the whole village and no household should be left out. At least one to two districts may be identified and prioritized for 100% FHTCs coverage in 2020-21; iv.) under priority area planning, provision for 4.91% of balanced FHTCs in Aspirational district, 16.53% of balanced FHTCs in SAGY villages, 8.22% of balanced FHTCs in DPAP/ DDP blocks and 11.52% in SC/ ST dominated villages is very low and requires revision for coverage of maximum possible households in these areas especially in villages with PWS system ; v.) as reported by State in IMIS, total population belongs to SC and ST category is 18.52% and 16.88%, respectively. It is inferred that at least around 36% of total fund needs to be utilized for FHTC provisions to SC/ ST households, while implementing rural water supply schemes to provide FHTCs in villages/ habitations. But as stated above, State has planned only for 11.52% of the balanced FHTCs in SC/ ST villages, which leaves a large chunk of earmarked fund for SC/ST, unutilized. In view of this, AAP need to be looked into very carefully and revised; vi.) State needs to plan for all Fluoride-affected habitations including those which are not taken up under NWQSM.

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