Lok Sabha Question No. 731 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-24
Subject: Tap Water Connections under Jal Jeevan Mission
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Shri Rajesh Verma, Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar, Smt. Shambhavi, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske, Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 731

ANSWERED ON 24.07.2025

## TAP WATER CONNECTIONS UNDER JAL JEEVAN MISSION

## 731. SHRI RAJESH VERMA:

SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR:

SMT. SHAMBHAVI:

SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE:

DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is on track to complete tap water connections in rural India by 2025 and if so, the details of the progress made so far under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM);
- (b) the  current  percentage  of  rural  households  with  access  to  tap  water  and  the  number  of households yet to be covered;
- (c) the  major  challenges  faced  in  achieving  full  tap  water  coverage  and  the  steps  taken/being taken by the Government to address these challenges;
- (d) the  status  of  sanitation-related  goals  under  the  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  and  the  initiatives undertaken to sustain Open Defecation Free (ODF) villages; and
- (e) the  details  of  the  funds  allocated  and  utilised  for  tap  water  connections  and  sanitation programmes during the last three years?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  &  (b)  Government  of  India  had  launched  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM),  a  centrally  sponsored scheme  in  August  2019,  aiming  at  providing  Functional  Household  Tap  Connection  (FHTC)  to every rural household by 2024.

At the start 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 21.07.2025, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Har  Ghar  Jal  around  12.44  Crore  additional  rural  households  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 and works for  the  remaining  3.69  Crore  households  are  at  various  stages  of  completion  as  per  plan  of  the respective State/ UT.

To  achieve  the  goal  of  the  Mission  with  focus  on  quality  of  infrastructure  and  Operation  & Maintenance of rural  piped  water  supply  schemes  for  long  term  sustainability  and  citizen  centric

water service delivery, Hon'ble Finance Minister during her budget speech 2025-26 has announced extension of Jal Jeevan Mission until 2028 with enhanced total outlay.

(c) States have informed that 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. are few of problems being faced in the implementation of the Mission.

To address the challenges holistically and overcome these, Government of India has taken a number of steps, inter alia including implementation of Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure through  M/o  Finance  for  financial  assistance  as  50-year  interest  free  loan  for  capital  investment projects;  nomination  of  a  nodal  officer  in  the  Department  for  coordinating  with  Central  nodal Ministries/  Departments/  agencies  to  facilitate  the  States  in  obtaining  Statutory/  other  clearances; setting up of State Programme Management Units (SPMUs) and District Programme Management Units  (DPMUs)  and  implementation  of  ' Nal  Jal  Mitra  Programme '  for  ensuring  availability  of skilled local persons at village level to bridge the gap in availability of technical skill sets and of HR for programme management;

Under  the  Mission,  States  have  been  advised  for  source  recharging,  viz.  dedicated  bore  well recharge structures, rainwater recharge, rejuvenation of existing water bodies, reuse of greywater, etc., in convergence with other schemes such as MGNREGS, Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), 15th Finance Commission tied grants to RLBs/ PRIs, State schemes, CSR funds, etc.

Further,  Jal  Shakti  Abhiyan:  Catch  the  Rain  (JSA:  CTR)  campaign  aiming  to  encourage  water conservation  at  grass-root  levels  with  people's  participation  was  launched  in  2019  in  256  water stressed  districts  of  the  country.  Moreover,  recognizing  the  importance  of  sustainable  water management especially for drinking water availability, JSA-CTR was implemented with the theme 'Source  Sustainability  for  Drinking  Water'  in  2023.  Similarly,  in  2024,  JSA  was  implemented with the theme "Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti" and in 2025, JSA is being implemented with the theme 'People's Action for Water Conservation - Towards Intensified Community Connect' emphasizing the pivotal role played by community especially women in the field of water conservation.

(d)  Phase  II  of  Swachh  Bharat  Mission  (Grameen)  [SBM(G)]  is  being  implemented  during  the period from 2020-21 to 2025-26, with the focus on Open Defecation Free (ODF) sustainability and to cover all the villages with solid and liquid waste management i.e. converting the villages from ODF to ODF Plus (Model). As reported by the States, 4,70,834 villages have been declared ODF Plus (Model) as on 21.07.2025.

(e)  The  details  of  the  funds  allocated  and  utilized  under  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  and  Swachh  Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM(G)] during the last three years are as under:

(Rs. in crore)

|         | Jal Jeevan Mission   | Jal Jeevan Mission   | Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)   | Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)   |
|---------|----------------------|----------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| Year    | Allocated            | Utilized             | Allocated                         | Utilized                          |
| 2022-23 | 55,000.00            | 54,839.79            | 5000.00                           | 4925.14                           |
| 2023-24 | 70,000.00            | 69,992.37            | 7000.00                           | 6802.58                           |
| 2024-25 | 22,694.00            | 22,638.44            | 7192.00                           | 3622.00                           |

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