Implementation Status of Jal Jeevan Mission

Since August 2019 the Government has implemented Jal Jeevan Mission to provide assured potable water through household tap connections in rural India. At the start of the mission only 32.3 million (mn) rural households, representing 16.7 per cent, were reported to have tap water connections. States and union territories have reported that 125.8 mn additional rural households have since been provided with tap connections. As a result, of about 193.6 mn rural households roughly 158.2 mn, or 81.71 per cent, are reported to have tap water supply at home.\n\nThe State, district and village level status of tap water connections is publicly available on the Jal Jeevan Mission dashboard. The data are published to enable transparency and to support monitoring of progress at local level.\n\nStates have identified challenges such as scarce dependable water sources in stressed areas, geogenic contamination, difficult terrain and scattered habitations, along with limited technical capacity and rising material costs. To address these challenges the Government introduced measures including Special Assistance for Capital Expenditure, appointment of nodal officers for faster clearances and the setting up of State Project Management Units and District Project Management Units. The Nal Jal Mitra initiative and the Jal Shakti Abhiyan Catch the Rain campaign have been promoted to strengthen local technical skills and support source sustainability.\n\nAn independent functionality assessment conducted in 2024 found high coverage in surveyed villages with 98.1 per cent of households having tap connections. The assessment reported that 87 per cent of households with connections received water in the past week and 84 per cent received water as per schedule. It found that 80 per cent of households received the minimum 55 litres per capita per day and that 76 per cent of households were free from bacteriological contamination while 81 per cent of supply sources were free from chemical contamination. Considering quantity, quality and regularity, 76 per cent of household tap connections were found to be functional.