Innovative Technology infusion for better implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission

A multi-disciplinary Technical Committee in the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of Jal Shakti has recommended five technologies specifically three technologies for drinking water and two technologies for sanitation as innovative technologies out of the ten technologies considered by it and these technologies would now be listed in the innovation portal of the Department. The recommendation by the Committee would help the States/ UTs so that they can use these technologies depending on their requirement and suitability.These technologies were appraised at different levels before consideration and recommendation by the Technical Committee.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti gives primacy to the infusion and deployment of innovative technological solutions to realize the ambitious objective of the Jal Jeevan Mission to provide Functional Household Tap Connection to every rural home by 2024 with speed & scale while tackling the diverse challenges encountered during implementation. Under the Mission, innovative proposals are sought online for assisting the States/UTs to adopt innovative technologies to deliver drinking water services to rural communities of adequate quantity and prescribed quality. Various challenges being faced during implementationof the Mission include variations in regional endowment of water resources& levels of service provision, water quality challenges, convergence with sanitation sector and dealing with grey water/ sludge issues, etc.

To address these challenges and to consider and recommend innovative ‘field level solution’ technologies, a multi-disciplinary Technical Committee, chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India with members from NITI Aayog, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Bio-Technology, CSIR, DRDO, NEERI, IIT, National Institute of Ocean Technology, States, etc,was constituted. The Committeefocussed on application of Science and Technology (S&T) for providing field level solutions, which would be helpful to the implementing agencies in the States/ UTs.

A two stage screening process was carried out for short listing the applicants. Out of the 87 applications received, initial short listing was done by the Technical Unit based on online submissions of technology, as per the ASSURED matrix framework (Affordability, Scalability, Sustainability, Universality, Rapid, Excellence and Distinctive – a term coined by Dr R. A. Mashelkar, former Director General, CSIR). In the second stage, response was sought as a questionnaire followed by a detailed online presentation by shortlisted applicants. Second stage was carried out in lieu of the field evaluation owing to COVID-19 lockdown and travel restrictions. Final shortlisted ten technologies were considered by the Committee out of which five have been recommended.

TheFive technologies that have been recommended are:

i.)                  Grundfos AQpure, a solar energy based water treatment plant based on ultra filtration

ii.)                Janajal Water on Wheel, an IoT based electric vehicle based on GPS location to enable delivery of safe water to the doorstep of households

iii.)              Presto Online Chlorinator, a non-electricity dependent online chlorinator for disinfection of water for removal of bacterial contamination

iv.)              Johkasou technology – an inbuilt packaged black (sewage) and grey water (Kitchen and bath water) treatment system having advanced anaerobic-aerobic configuration that can be installed underground

v.)                FBTec®, a site assembled decentralised sewage treatment system using fixed filter media. The Committee has requested the other five applicants to carry out accreditation process/ pilots/ share field data before they can be reconsidered.