Lok Sabha Question No. 753 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-24
Subject: Status of Har Ghar Jal Scheme
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Smt. Delkar Kalaben Mohanbhai

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 753 ANSWERED ON 24/07/2025

## STATUS OF HAR GHAR JAL SCHEME

## †753.  SMT. DELKAR KALABEN MOHANBHAI:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

(a) the current status of the 'Har Ghar Jal' scheme being implemented across the country;

(b) whether tap water supply has been provided to all targeted households, if so, the details thereof and if not, the challenges faced therein;

(c) the steps being taken by the Government to maintain / ensure the quality of drinking water in  various  parts  of  the  country,  particularly  in  areas  affected  by  arsenic,  fluoride  or  other contaminants;

(d) whether the Government is running any special programme to reduce leakage and water wastage in drinking water supply; and

(e) if so, the details thereof particularly in the Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI V. SOMANNA)

(a) Since August 2019, Government of India in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan  Mission  (JJM)  -  Har  Ghar  Jal  to  make  provision  of  potable  water  to  every  rural household of the country through functional tap water connection.

At the start the Mission, only 3.23 Crore (16.71%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. With concerted efforts from both Centre and States/UTs under Jal Jeevan Mission  (JJM)  -  Har  Ghar  Jal  around  12.43  Crore  additional  rural  households  have  been reported to have been provided with tap water connections. Thus, as on 21.07.2025, out of 19.36 Crore rural households in the country, more than 15.67 Crore (80.94%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.

(b) No, as informed by States/UTs, the challenges being faced in the implementation of the Mission to provide tap water supply to all targeted households are  lack of dependable drinking water  sources  in  water-stressed,  drought  prone  and  desert  areas,  presence  of  geo-genic contaminants in ground water, uneven geographical terrain, scattered rural habitations, delay in  release  of  the  matching  State  share  in  some  States,  lack  of  technical  capacity  with implementing agencies, Gram Panchayats and local communities to plan, manage, operate & maintain the water supply schemes, rising price of raw materials, delay in obtaining statutory/ other clearances, etc.

(c) Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance (WQM&S) has been given the utmost priority, as it is essential for ensuring the supply of safe drinking water, timely identification/ evaluation of water borne health risk and for taking preventive/ remedial  measures  such  as  proper  and  regular  disinfection.    Under  JJM,  as  per  existing guidelines, Bureau of Indian Standards' BIS:10500 standards are adopted as benchmark for quality  of  water  being  supplied  through  the  piped  water  supply  schemes.  BIS  specifies 'acceptable limit' and 'permissible limit in the absence of alternate source' for various physiochemical and bacteriological parameters for drinking water quality.

Under JJM, while planning water supply schemes to provide tap water supply to households, priority  is  given  to  habitations  affected  by  chemical  contaminants  including  Fluoride  and Arsenic.  States/ UTs have been advised to plan and implement piped water supply schemes based on alternative safe water sources for the villages with water quality issues.

As per  the  extant  Operational  Guidelines,  States/  UTs  can  utilize  upto  2%  of  their  annual allocation  of  funds  under  JJM  for  Water  Quality  Monitoring  &  Surveillance  (WQM&S) activities  inter  alia  which  includes  setting  up  and  strengthening  of  water  quality  testing laboratories,  procurement  of  equipment,  instruments,  chemicals,  glassware,  consumables, hiring of skilled manpower, surveillance by community using field test kits (FTKs), awareness generation, educational programmes on water quality, accreditation/recognition of laboratories, etc.

To  enable  States/  UTs  to  test  water  samples  for  water  quality,  and  for  sample  collection, reporting,  monitoring  and  surveillance  of  drinking  water,  an  online  JJM  -  Water  Quality Management Information System (WQMIS) portal has been developed.

A 'Citizen Corner' was also developed on the JJM Dashboard. The corner included display of water quality test results in the public domain to further create awareness and build confidence among people about the quality of water supplies through the PWS in rural areas.

In consultation with various stakeholders 'Concise Handbook for Monitoring Water Quality of Piped Drinking Water Supply to Rural Households' has been released in December 2024 for guidance to States/ UT's  officials and their parastatal organizations.  The  handbook recommended for a comprehensive testing of drinking water samples at various testing points such  as  source,  treatment  plant,  storage  and  distribution  points  and  take  remedial  action wherever necessary, to ensure that the water supplied to households is of prescribed quality.

(d) and (e) For peri-urban/big villages in water-scarce areas, in order to save the precious fresh water, States/UTs including UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli are also being encouraged to plan new water supply scheme with dual piped water supply system, i.e. supply of fresh water in one and treated grey/ waste water in another pipe for non-potable/ gardening/ toilet flushing use. Moreover, the households in these areas are to be encouraged to use the faucet aerators that save a significant amount of water, in multiple taps they may be using inside their house. In some of the IEC/Social Media Campaigns, focus has been on arresting leakage and water wastage across rural India.

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