Parliament Question: Delays in Laying Drinking Water Supply Pipelines

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †3140 ANSWERED ON 06.08.2026 DELAYS IN LAYING DRINKING WATER SUPPLY PIPELINES †3140. SHRI LALJI VERMA: Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) the details of the delays in laying drinking water supply pipelines in small habitations, hamlets and remote settlements of Bhiti, Katehari, Jalalpur, Alapur and Akbarpur Development Blocks of Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha Constituency due to geographical constraints, distance and technical reasons; (b) whether the Government has any independent monitoring mechanism to verify the actual supply of fifty-five litres per capita per day of safe drinking water at the ground level as against the figures reported in official records and if so, the details thereof; (c) whether any scientific techniques for rainwater harvesting and greywater management have been made mandatory for long-term rejuvenation of water sources and if so, the details thereof; and (d) the policy of the Government to strengthen the financial capacity of Gram Panchayats for sustainable maintenance of the drinking water infrastructure and to create livelihood opportunities for local youth in this regard? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI V. SOMANNA) (a) Drinking Water is a ‘State’ subject, and hence, under JJM, the responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation & maintenance of drinking water supply schemes lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance. The Union Cabinet has approved extension of the JJM up to December 2028, with an enhanced outlay and a restructured implementation framework focusing on structural reforms in the rural drinking water supply sector under JJM 2.0. State of Uttar Pradesh has informed that the delays in project implementation and overall execution schedules in laying drinking water supply pipelines in small habitations, hamlets and remote settlements of Bhiti, Katehari, Jalalpur, Alapur and Akbarpur Development Blocks of Ambedkar Nagar Lok Sabha Constituency due to geographical constraints, distance and technical reasons are the COVID-19 pandemic, non-availability of free land for various structures, delay in obtaining No Objection Certificates (NOCs) from various departments such as Railways, Forest & Environment, NHAI, PWD Page 1 of 2and Irrigation & Water Resources, non-availability of skilled manpower, equipment, and machinery, limited availability of critical construction materials, including MS pipes, HDPE pipes, solar panels, steel, and other essential components etc. (b) Under JJM, to verify the actual supply of safe drinking water and for ensuring universal coverage through tap water connection, the Department has evolved a comprehensive multi-level and multi- format system of monitoring and evaluation of the implementation of programme, linking AADHAR of the head of household for targeted delivery and monitoring of specific outcomes, subject to statutory provisions, including geo-tagging of assets created, third-party inspections before making payments, measurement and monitoring of water supply in villages through sensor-based IoT solution on pilot basis, etc. In a significant step towards strengthening service delivery and community ownership under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Jal Seva Aankalan initiative marks a decisive shift from infrastructure creation to sustained service delivery, placing Gram Panchayats and village institutions at the centre of assessing the regularity, adequacy, quality and sustainability of drinking water supply in Har Ghar Jal (HGJ) villages. (c) Under the Mission, States/UTs have been advised for source recharging, viz. dedicated bore well recharge structures, rainwater recharge, rejuvenation of existing water bodies, reuse of greywater, etc., in convergence with other schemes such as MGNREGS, Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), 16th Finance Commission tied grants to RLBs/ PRIs, State schemes, CSR funds, etc. Further, Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) campaign aiming to encourage water conservation at grass-root levels with people's participation was launched in 2019 in 256 water stressed districts of the country. Moreover, recognizing the importance of sustainable water management especially for drinking water availability, JSA-CTR was implemented with the theme “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water” in 2023. The Government has implemented extensive, community-led measures for water conservation and rainwater harvesting under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), which integrates mandatory source sustainability components like groundwater recharge and greywater management. (d) Under JJM, Gram Panchayat or its sub-committee/ user group i.e. Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC) or Pani Samiti has been empowered to plan, implement, manage, operate and maintain in-village water supply system. While preparing VAPs, dovetailing of resources available at village level under various programmes like Finance Commission tied grant for water & sanitation to RLBs/ PRIs, JJM, SBM(G), VBG-RAM-G, MP/ MLA - Local Area Development Funds, District Mineral Development Fund (DMDF), CSR Fund, community contributions, etc. is of paramount importance. Further, for enabling the local village community to play their role shouldering the responsibility of operation and maintenance, Nal Jal Mitra Programme (NJMP) has been launched in collaboration with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to equip them with a comprehensive set of skills & develop “Nal Jal Mitras”, so that they can function as scheme operators and are able to carry out minor repairs and maintenance, including preventive maintenance, of the piped water supply scheme(s) in their village as skilled masons, plumbers, fitters, electricians, motor mechanics, pump operators, etc. ***** Page 2 of 2