Lok Sabha Question No. 2994 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-21
Subject: Households with Uninterrupted Water Supply
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Abhishek Banerjee

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2994 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21/12/2023

## Households with Uninterrupted Water Supply

## 2994.  SHRI ABHISHEK BANERJEE:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a)   the  number  and  percentage  of  rural  households  with  an  uninterrupted  household  tap  water supply;
- (b)  the number and percentage of rural households who have to travel more than two kilometres to get access to potable water; and
- (c)   the  steps  taken  and  time-frame  drawn  to  ensure  24/7  potable  water  supply  to  every  rural household in the country?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR)

(a) to (c) Government of India is committed to make provision for safe & potable tap water supply in adequate quantity (55 liters per capita per day), of prescribed quality and on a regular & longterm  basis  to  all  rural  households  in  the  country.  Towards  this  end,  the  Government  of  India launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), to be implemented in partnership with states, in August 2019.  Drinking  Water  is  a  state  subject,  and  hence,  the  responsibility  of  planning,  approval, implementation,  operation,  and  maintenance  of  drinking  water  supply  schemes,  including  those under the Jal Jeevan Mission, lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance.

Significant progress has been made in the country since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, towards enhancing access to tap water to rural households. At the start of Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, only 3.23 Crore (16.8%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far,  as  reported  by  States/  UTs  as  on  18.12.2023,  more  than  10.62  Crore  additional  rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM. Thus, as on 18.12.2023, out of around 19.25 Crore rural households in the country, more than 13.85 Crore (72%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes and the remaining 5.40 Crore are likely to be covered within the Mission Period.

Further, a number of steps have been taken to plan and implement JJM in the whole country, with speed, inter alia , including joint discussions and finalization of saturation plans and annual action plans (AAP) of States/ UTs, regular review of implementation, workshops/ conferences/ webinars for  capacity  building,  training,  knowledge  sharing,  field  visits  by  multi-disciplinary  team  to provide technical support, etc. A detailed Operational Guideline for the implementation of JJM; Margdarshika for Gram Panchayats & VWSCs to provide safe drinking water in rural households and  Guidelines  on  a  special  campaign  to  provide  piped  water  supply  in  anganwadi  centres, ashramshalas and schools have been shared with States/ UTs  to facilitate planning and implementation  of  Jal  Jeevan  Mission.  For  online  monitoring,  JJM-Integrated  Management Information  System  (IMIS)  and  JJM-Dashboard has  been  put  in  place.  Provision  has  also  been made for transparent online financial management through Public Financial Management System (PFMS). The details of distance travelled by rural population for accessing potable water, are not maintained.

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