Jal mission can save 1.36 lakh under-5 lives/year

New Delhi, October 11

A significant new research led by Nobel laureate Michael Kremer has found India’s Jal Jeevan Mission, which seeks to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual tap connections to all rural households by 2024, can save 1.36 lakh lives of children under five, if it succeeds.

In the paper entitled, “Potential Reduction in Child Mortality through Expanding Access to Safe Drinking Water in India”, economists Kremer, Akanksha Saletore, Witold Wiecek and Arthur Baker, say if the mission succeeds, it will prevent around 1,36,000 under-five deaths per year. However, this will require that water supplied through JJM is free from microbiological contamination, they say.

The researchers note at the time of mission’s inception in 2019, more than 50 per cent of the population did not have access to safe drinking water. They say although geogenic contaminants such as arsenic, fluoride, and nitrate are widespread in certain regions of India, the most ubiquitous type of contamination is microbial which needs to be avoided.

“Diarrhoea is the third most common responsible disease for under-five mortality in India. Water treatment is a cost-effective way to reduce diarrheal diseases and child mortality,” the research says.

A 2019 study in Maharashtra found high level (37%) of E. coli contamination in piped water samples. “The mission’s ambition to bring safe drinking water to all rural homes is therefore likely to be highly valuable, preventing around 1,36,000 child deaths annually. We hope to work with the ministry and assist in this effort by testing possible solutions to water quality treatment such as re-chlorination,” the authors add.

Rural pockets to be covered

• Mission seeks to provide safe piped drinking water to all rural households by 2024
• Researchers say it can save 1.36 lakh lives of children under five, if it succeeds; water supplied must be free from contamination