Bareilly: The Department of Social Work (MSW) at Mahatma Jyotiba Phule Rohilkhand University (MJPRU) has successfully completed a comprehensive impact assessment of the central and Uttar Pradesh government’s ‘Har Ghar Nal, Har Ghar Jal’ initiative under the Jal Jeevan Mission. The study, conducted on March 18, 2026, in Badaun district, evaluated the implementation of the scheme and its tangible effects on rural life.
The assessment was carried out under the guidance of Professor Vijay Bahadur Singh Yadav, Acting Head of the Department of Social Work, with Dr. Afsana Siddiqui and Dr. Raffan Ali leading the project. A team of 30 students visited villages across eight blocks of Badaun—Wazirganj, Ujhani, Dataganj, Jagat, Salarpur, Kadrchaok, Sahaswan, and Dehgawa—conducting detailed surveys and field studies. The district-level Jal Jeevan Mission team provided full technical and administrative support to the academic team during the exercise.
Findings from the survey and interactions with villagers highlighted several positive impacts of the program:
-
Improved Health: Regular access to safe drinking water via household taps has led to a notable decline in waterborne diseases such as diarrhea and typhoid. Villagers reported fewer illnesses among children and reduced medical expenses.
-
Women Empowerment: The elimination of the daily burden of fetching water from distant sources has significantly improved women’s quality of life. Time saved is now invested in education, self-employment, income-generating activities, and better family care. Many women shared that they are now able to earn additional income through daily wage work or small businesses.
-
Social Cohesion: Reduced competition and conflicts at public water sources have strengthened community relationships.
-
Educational Benefits: School-going girls particularly benefit, as they no longer miss classes due to time spent collecting water, enabling regular school attendance.
Vice-Chancellor’s Message
On this achievement, MJPRU Vice-Chancellor Professor K. P. Singh congratulated the Social Work Department team and participating students. He remarked, “A university’s true identity lies not just in textbooks and exams but in engaging with society and contributing to nation-building. This impact assessment exemplifies that commitment.” He added, “I am confident that the study’s findings will not only showcase the scheme’s success but also provide meaningful guidance to make it even more effective. It offers our students a golden opportunity to step out of the classroom, engage with real-world challenges, and connect with the core of society.”
The report stands as a vibrant documentation of the Jal Jeevan Mission’s success and government efforts to expand access to clean drinking water in rural India. Through such field-based studies, MJPRU’s Department of Social Work continues to bridge academic knowledge with social responsibility.
Reported from Bareilly by Akhilesh Chandra Saxena
