Key Points

Minister of State for Jal Shakti V. Somanna, in a written reply, said, “Till July 23, out of 19.36 crore rural households in the country, more than 15.67 crore (80.95 per cent) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.”

“A proposal, for continuation of Jal Jeevan Mission until 2028 with enhanced total outlay, inter alia including guidelines for further funding, is under active consideration of the government,” said Somanna.

The extension of the Mission aligns with the government’s aim to achieve 100 per cent tap water coverage in all rural households.

The MoS said that, at the start of the Mission in August 2019, only 3.23 crore (16.7 per cent) rural households were reported to have tap water connections.

So far, as reported by States/UTs as of July 23, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal, around 12.44 crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections, said Somanna.

He said the Mission focuses on the quality of infrastructure and operation and maintenance of rural piped water supply schemes for long-term sustainability and citizen-centric water service delivery.

It is designed not just to enhance coverage but also to promote long-term operation, maintenance, and improvement of the quality of rural piped water infrastructure.

Some of the key challenges in the implementation of the Mission include water scarcity in drought-prone and desert regions, contamination of groundwater, scattered rural habitations, lack of technical manpower, and delays in fund disbursement and statutory clearances.

To tackle these issues, the government has initiated multiple steps, including interest-free capital investment loans to states, appointment of nodal officers to ease inter-departmental coordination, and establishment of state and District Programme Management Units.

- IANS