New Delhi: While the Union government had launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)-Har Ghar Jal in 2019 with the target of providing water to every rural household by 2024, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti has informed parliament that as of March 2025, 80.07% rural households have been covered.
The scheme was launched in August 2019, to make provision of tap water supply to every rural household across the country in partnership with states.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti V. Somanna said that at the start of the mission only 3.23 crore of the 19 crore rural households were reported to have tap water connections, which has now increased to 12.28 crore as of March 6 this year.
“At the start of the Mission, only 3.23 crore (16.7%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by States/ UTs as on 06.03.2025, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal around 12.28 crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections. Thus, as on 06.03.2025, out of 19.36 crore rural households in the country, more than 15.51 crore (80.07%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes and works for the remaining 3.85 crore households are at various stages of completion as per saturation plan of the respective State/ UT,” he said.
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Concerns have been raised about the sustainability of the mission as well as the water quality in the tap connections.
The minister cited the Functionality Assessment 2022 report to say that “86% of households (HHs) had working tap connections.”
“Out of these, 85% were getting water in adequate quantity, 80% were getting water regularly as per the schedule of water supply for their piped water supply scheme, and 87% of households were receiving water as per the prescribed water quality standards,” he added.
While presenting the Union Budget 2025-26 last month, finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that the total budget outlay for Jal Jeevan Mission has been enhanced to Rs 67,000 crore and that the mission stands extended until 2028.
