Bhubaneswar: In a major push to strengthen rural drinking water delivery systems, Odisha on Tuesday signed MoUs with the Union govt as part of the nationwide rollout of reform-linked implementation under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0.The MoUs were signed in the presence of Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil, who chaired the review meeting in New Delhi. From here, chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi and rural development and drinking water minister Rabi Narayan Naik attended the event virtually.Calling the agreement a significant step towards Har Ghar Jal, CM Majhi said Odisha is implementing JJM 2.0 with a sharper focus on community participation, financial sustainability, and robust monitoring.He said ongoing initiatives such as asset strengthening and digital integration, with all water supply assets being registered on the Sujal Bharat platform, assignment of unique Sujal Gram IDs for real-time tracking, and strengthened citizen services through the Basudha helpline and a WhatsApp interface.He said major achievements made under the mission in the past, including 2.21 lakh water conservation and rainwater harvesting structures created, restoration of over 43,000 water bodies, 42,000 groundwater recharge initiatives completed, and over 2 lakh watershed works undertaken.Union Jal Shakti minister CR Patil praised the state’s commitment and outlined the mission’s current priorities under JJM 2.0, bridging infrastructure gaps, covering remaining households, and ensuring sustainable and reliable water supply systems.He said the need for formal handover of completed schemes to communities with proper documentation, strengthening local water management systems for effective management, and empowering women through training in water quality testing using field test kits.Patil said JJM has already freed nearly nine crore rural women from the drudgery of fetching water, marking a significant social shift. He also highlighted the Prime Minister’s emphasis on water use efficiency, including pipeline-based irrigation pilots and promotion of drip irrigation.The Union minister appreciated Odisha’s strides in strengthening digital monitoring of water supply schemes, achieving substantial progress in the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, especially in water conservation and rejuvenation of structures, and establishing citizen-centric systems like helplines.
