New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) The Centre on Monday asked states and Union Territories to accelerate skilling initiatives under the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 to create a trained, locally available workforce for operation and maintenance of rural drinking water infrastructure.
The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) held its first national virtual conference with states and UTs as a follow-up to its September 1-2 departmental summit on strengthening the rural water workforce.
DDWS Secretary Ashok K K Meena said the long-term success of the Jal Jeevan Mission depends not only on infrastructure creation but also on trained personnel to operate, maintain and monitor rural water supply systems.
A key focus of the conference was the rollout of the Nal Jal Mitra programme.
DDWS, in collaboration with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship and NCVET, has developed an NSQF-aligned qualification for rural drinking water systems.
States were briefed on a 510-hour short-term training course for new entrants and a 120-hour recognition of prior learning (RPL) pathway for existing operators, plumbers, electricians, pump attendants and other personnel.
The department said assessments indicate that more than 13 lakh personnel may be required in the coming years for operation and maintenance of rural water supply infrastructure, including technicians, plumbers, electricians, pump mechanics and water quality personnel.
The conference also discussed Sujalam Shakti, a women-led initiative for village-level water quality surveillance, testing and basic disinfection. Its first phase aims to train around 1.35 lakh to 1.70 lakh women through convergence with state rural livelihood missions, panchayati raj institutions and other training networks.
States and UTs were asked to decide by October 15 whether to adopt the existing Nal Jal Mitra course or develop a state-specific course. They were also advised to undertake detailed human resource assessments to identify manpower gaps at gram panchayat, block and district levels.
Additional Secretary and Mission Director, NJJM, Kamal Kishore Soan, called upon states and UTs to accelerate adoption of the two skilling initiatives and establish mechanisms for deployment, remuneration and performance monitoring of trained personnel.
The conference emphasised that JJM 2.0 is shifting the focus from infrastructure creation to sustainable service delivery, with a trained local workforce seen as critical for the long-term functionality of rural drinking water systems. PTI ADI KSS KSS
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