Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday inaugurated the Jal Mitan-Yuva Udyami entrepreneurship skill development project, where a large number of youths are being trained for the operation and maintenance of drinking water schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Baghel said: “Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country where a large number of youths are being trained for the implementation and maintenance of drinking water schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission. They are being prepared as ‘Jal Mitan’, ‘Yuva Udyami’, and ‘Jal Didi’ for the better management and operation of these schemes.”

The project is aimed at implementing and sustaining drinking water in rural areas of Chhattisgarh. The initiative, conducted in collaboration with the Jal Jeevan Mission and Unicef, focuses on training and deploying skilled Jal Mitans in rural regions.

The programme provides 21-day residential training to rural youths in various trades, including water quality testing, plumbing and pipe fitting repairs, water filters working on reverse osmosis (RO) fitting and repairs, electrical fitting, solar panel fitting, as well as pump operator services.

The government’s target is to provide skill development training to 58,000 rural youths in the state.

Baghel and state public health engineering department minister Guru Rudra Kumar distributed free toolkits to 90 trained Jal Mitans and young entrepreneurs in the programme organised at the chief minister’s residence.

The toolkits, valued at Rs 15,000 each, consisted of safety shoes, helmets, and various equipment.

As many as 540 youths and 90 young entrepreneurs from the state underwent a comprehensive 21-day residential training, ensuring high-quality skill development for the sustainable maintenance of the constructed infrastructure for drinking water supply.

“The state government is making continuous efforts to connect the youth with self-employment and employment. The youth are also being provided skill development training along with allowances. A total of 540 youths have received high-level training under the Jal Jeevan Mission, and they have been provided free tool kits today. These trained ‘Jal Mitans’ and ‘Jal Didis’ have been provided with new opportunities for self-employment,” said Baghel.

“The state government has set a target to provide individual household tap connections to 50 lakh rural households. Currently, tap connections have been provided in 24 lakh households. Given the substantial number of tap water connections established in households, there is a considerable demand for trained young individuals who can efficiently operate and maintain these systems, thereby guaranteeing their seamless functionality. These trained youth will now have consistent employment opportunities, and there will be no shortage of work,” the chief minister added.

Unicef water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) specialist Shweta Patnaik, in her address, stated that Chhattisgarh is the first state in the country to launch the “Jal Mitan” programme. This programme aims to ensure the sustainable maintenance of water supply schemes at the panchayat level in the state and is based on the concept of a “one-stop solution” using a skilled and entrepreneurial model for the upkeep of drinking water infrastructure.

Chief minister’s secretary and public health engineering secretary S. Bharathidasan said that a large number of “Nal-Jal Yojanas” are being implemented in the state. Considering the management and operational requirements, a significant number of skilled ‘Jal Mitans’ are needed at the grassroots level.

“Keeping this in view, it has been decided to train 58,000 youth across the state as Jal Mitans. So far, training has been provided to 11,000 youth based on the recommendations of the Gram Panchayats,” he said.