Jal Shakti Minister Launches Sujlam 2.0 Campaign

• It is a campaign for greywater management at a virtual event hosted by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti.
• A Joint Advisory was also signed by 9 Ministries.

Sujlam 2.0 campaign

• The theme for this year is ‘Groundwater: making the invisible visible.
• Objective: to manage greywater through people’s participation.
• To mobilize communities, institutions like panchayats, schools, anganwadi to undertake greywater management.
• Greywater can be best managed where it is generated and turns into a major management and infrastructure challenge if it is allowed to accumulate and stagnate.
• To ensure that greywater is managed at the most appropriate local level through construction of household and community soak pits.

Need for the Campaign

• The campaign will see people undertake collective situation assessment, plan and implement greywater management activities.
• The funds to execute the activities for greywater management can be sourced from SBM-G Phase II or through 15th Finance Commission tied-grants or MGNREGS or through convergence of all.
• To popularize the significance of greywater management and mobilizing collective community action will be undertaken at State, District and local level.

Various estimates of Gray water

• 2.2 billion people across the world are facing a water crisis.
• Sustainable Development Goal 6 aims to provide universal access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation.
• It is estimated that 31 billion liters of greywater is generated every day in India.
• There is a need to develop sustainable behavior practices to conserve water.

Targets under Sujlam 2.0 campaign

• 6 lakh villages will see intense activity on solid and liquid waste management.
• Large number of villages will achieve 100% saturation under Jal Jeevan Mission which aims to provide every rural household with tap water connection by 2024.

Other initiatives regarding water management

• Jal Shakti Abhiyan was launched in 2019 to cover water-stressed districts.
• Atal Bhujal Yojana: being implemented in select areas of 7 States wherein the people prepare their water security plan detailing:

1. How are they getting water,
2. Amount of water being consumed,
3. Type of water conservation method applied,
4. How one can moderate its usage.

Way Forward

• Grey water is basically the water used for domestic purposes like kitchen, bathing & washing areas, etc. so it needs to be reused and utilized.
• Sujlam 2.0 Campaign ensure that the nation achieves effective greywater management in rural areas, so that they become WASH enlightened Villages.
• Sujlam 2.0 would focus on the creation of institutional level greywater management assets in Panchayat Ghar, healthcare facilities, schools, anganwadi centres (AWCs), community centres and other government institutions.
• Creation of individual and community greywater management assets will be encouraged.