New Delhi: As a result of persistent efforts under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 11 states and Union Territories have succeeded in providing tap water connections to all their rural households.
The states which have achieved the milestone include Gujarat, Punjab, Haryana Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra Nagar Haveli & Daman Diu and Puducherry, shows official data of Jal Shakti Ministry.
States like Uttarakhand, Bihar and UT Ladakh are close to 100 per cent tap water coverage in villages with current coverage standing at 97.24 per cent, 95.71 per cent and 96.05 per cent, respectively.
Non-BJP ruled states of Kerala and West Bengal are the worst performers in terms of providing tap connections to rural households, with just 54.25 per cent and 54.48 per cent, respectively, homes in villages enjoying the facility.
At the start of Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, only 3.23 crore (16.8 per cent) rural households were reported to have tap water connections.
But till February 10 this year, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal around 12.22 crore additional rural households were with tap water connections, said an official document.
Till February 2025, out of more than 19.36 crore rural households in the country, more than 15.45 crore (79.79 per cent) households have got tap water supply in their homes.
According to officials, the ministry has launched a campaign – Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign aiming to encourage water conservation at grass-root levels with people’s participation. It was launched in 2019 in 256 water stressed districts of the country.
Similarly, in 2024, JSA was implemented with the theme “Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti” emphasising the pivotal role played by women in the field of water conservation.
According to officials, some of the main challenges faced by states in supplying tap water to rural homes include lack of dependable drinking water sources in water-stressed, drought prone and desert areas.
Scattered rural habitations, uneven geographical terrain and presence of geo-genic contaminants in ground water are also some of the problems faced by states.
(IANS)
