More than 11 crore rural households now have tap connection: A look at PM Modi’s flagship Jal Jeevan Mission

By: Yash Gupte

According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Jalshakti, around 11,16,05,257 (57.56 percent) rural households have tap water connections.

In a tweet on January 25, 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the achievement of 11 Crore Tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission. According to the latest data released by the Ministry of Jalshakti, around 11,16,05,257 (57.56 percent) rural households have tap water connections. According to the ministry, the total number of rural households in India is 19,39,05,700.

Launched in 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission is one of the major flagship programs of the Modi government. It aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2024 to all households in rural India. The programme also aims to implement source sustainability measures as mandatory elements, such as recharge and reuse through grey water management, water conservation, rain water harvesting. Before 2019, out of total 18.93 crore rural households, only 3.23 crore (17 percent) households had access to tap water connection. The remaining 15.70 crore families were dependent on river, well, pond, stand post and spring for their daily water needs. By the end of FY20, only 21.3 percent of rural households had access to a water pipeline. During the next financial year, it increased to 37.99 percent.

Under the JJM, the states and UTs have been advised to undertake testing of water quality on a periodic basis i.e. once in year for chemical and physical parameters, and twice in a year for bacteriological parameters and take remedial action wherever necessary, to ensure that the water supplied to households is of prescribed quality. As of February 13, 2023, there are 2,076 active laboratories for testing the quality of water. Till date around 46,26,992 samples have been tested in these laboratories. Out of the total tested samples, 5,36,411 were found contaminated. Around 18,24,430 women have been trained for testing water samples using the Field Testing Kits (FTK). About 2,76,344 villages have tested water samples using FTKs. West Bengal reported the maximum number of contaminated water samples at 2,25,299.

Source: Ministry of JalShakti

According to the latest figures released by the ministry, 123 districts, 1,321 blocks, 73,515 Gram Panchayat and 1,53,044 villages have been provided with drinking water through taps. Goa, Telangana, Gujarat, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Puducherry and Haryana have already achieved 100 percent household connections. Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar have coverage of more than 90 percent and are progressing fast towards attaining the status.

However, in seven states and UTs, less than 50 percent households have tap water supply. West Bengal has the lowest coverage at 30.33 percent, followed by Uttar Pradesh at the same rate, Jharkhand 30.59 percent, Rajasthan at 31.64 percent, and Chhattisgarh at 38.88 percent. In 117 aspirational districts (home to some of the poorest Indians), 1,22,33,458 (36.18 percent) households have been provided with tap water connections. Schools in 12 states and UTs have 100 percent tap water connection while schools in 10 states and UTs have over 75 percent tap water connection.

At the same time, the allocation towards this project has increased over the years. While ₹10,998 crore was allocated in 2020-21, it rose to ₹45,011 crore in 2021-22 and ₹60,000 crore in 2022-23 and it further increased to ₹70,000 crore in 2023-24.

Source: Outlay on Major Schemes, Union Budget Documents 2023-24

It’s a sobering thought that only 57 per cent of Indians in rural areas have access to piped drinking water. For millions, safe water can turn problems into potential – unlocking education, economic opportunity and improved health. But with the launch of JJM, it seems that the majority of rural households in India would have tap water connections soon.