Include ‘jal sahiyas’ in 2nd phase of central scheme: CM

Ranchi: CM Hemant Soren on Tuesday urged the Union ministry of Jal Shakti to integrate Jharkhand’s ‘jal sahiyas’ (water volunteers) into the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) framework.

The pitch was made during the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the state govt and ministry for the rollout of Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0. Hemant told the central delegation that the state has mobilised a robust grassroots workforce of around 30,000 ‘jal sahiyas’ to oversee and manage local drinking water distribution systems. At present, the state pays the monthly honorarium of Rs 2,000 to each volunteer. The CM requested the Centre to provide financial assistance for the honorariums and to embed a dedicated ‘jal sahiya component’ into the central scheme.

Affirming Jharkhand's commitment to achieving absolute tap water coverage, Hemant said the state is working on a ‘mission mode’ to ensure JJM benefits reach the last mile. “State govt is continuously striving to coordinate effectively with the Centre to accelerate our execution pace,” he said.

Highlighting the bureaucratic bottlenecks, he pointed out that the creation of water supply infrastructure often overlaps with jurisdiction of various central agencies. “Pipeline networks need to traverse terrains managed by govt departments. Consequently, securing no-objection certificates (NOCs) occasionally emerges as a major roadblock,” the CM said. He emphasised that an agile, joint mechanism between the Centre and state could fast-track the pending NOCs, ensuring the action plan meets its deadlines.

Hemant stated that drinking water projects valued at Rs 24,635 crore are being implemented in the state since 2019-20. However, he flagged a funding crunch, apprising the ministry that funds had not been released by the Centre for 2024-25 and 2025-26. He pressed for the immediate release of the central share to keep the momentum going.

According to state data, Jharkhand has successfully completed 55% of its targeted piped water supply projects so far. In contrast, the central grants received so far cover only 46% of the completed works. Addressing this disparity, the CM requested the immediate clearance of pending central assistance amounting to around Rs 6,500 crore.

With the signing of JJM 2.0, the state aims to bridge the remaining infrastructure gaps to achieve 100% coverage across all households by Dec 2028. A financial outlay of Rs 2,500 crore has been earmarked for Jharkhand under JJM 2.0 to realise the target.

Union Jal Shakti minister C R Patil, Union minister of state V Somanna, minister for drinking water and sanitation Yogendra Prasad, among others, were present.