Over 80% of Rural India Now Has Tap Water Access, Says Government

The Centre on Monday claimed a major milestone in its flagship Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), asserting that over 80% of India’s rural households now have access to potable tap water connections. However, as the numbers are being flaunted in Parliament, questions continue to loom over the ground-level functionality and equity of access.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti V. Somanna said that as of July 16, over 156.7 million rural households out of 193.6 million— accounting for 80.93%— now have piped water supply at home.

The announcement marks significant progress since the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019. Back then, only 32.3 million (roughly 16.7%) of rural homes had tap water connections. In the last four years, an additional 124.3 million rural households have reportedly been brought under the network.

The Jal Jeevan Mission, launched under the slogan “Har Ghar Jal,” is a collaborative initiative between the Centre and state governments aimed at ensuring safe and assured tap water supply to every rural household in India.

Functionality: The Real Test

While the government’s figures are promising, the true measure lies in functionality — not just infrastructure on paper. An independent Functionality Assessment in 2022 revealed that 86% of the tap water connections were actually working.

Among these:

85% of households received water in adequate quantity.

80% received it regularly as per scheduled supply.

87% got water that met the prescribed quality standards.

The 2024 functionality assessment is currently underway, and its findings are expected to give a clearer picture of how well the infrastructure is serving rural populations on a daily basis.

Monitoring, Reviews and Course Corrections

To maintain momentum and ensure effective delivery, the Centre has been holding regular review meetings with state governments. Senior-level conferences, workshops, and video consultations have been ongoing, aimed at identifying roadblocks and pushing for time-bound implementation.

Field visits by central teams have also been undertaken to provide on-ground support and encourage faster execution of works, especially in underperforming districts.

The government also acknowledged the economic shocks that impacted implementation. Amid rising costs of raw materials due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, several states sought financial relief. In response, the Centre amended operational guidelines in June 2022 to ease the fiscal burden and sustain the pace of progress.

Moreover, for the sake of transparency and public accountability, the district- and village-wise data of rural tap water coverage has been made publicly accessible.

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