**Executive Summary**
This document is the answer to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 929, addressing the Har Ghar Jal Yojana as of February 5, 2026. It provides details on the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), tap water connections, monitoring mechanisms, Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), and measures to ensure sustainable water supply. The report references data reported by States/UTs as of February 2, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Implementation:**
* The Government of India, in partnership with States/UTs, is implementing JJM to provide tap water connections to every rural household since August 2019.
* **Tap Water Connection Statistics (as of 02.02.2026):**
* Out of 19.36 crore rural households in the country, more than 15.79 crore (81.59%) have tap water connections.
* In Chhattisgarh, out of 49.97 lakh rural households, more than 41.01 lakh have tap water connections.
* **Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of Water Supply Schemes:**
* States/UTs, including Chhattisgarh, must ensure effective implementation and monitoring.
* A multi-level and multi-format system of monitoring is in place, including reviews, workshops, and webinars.
* Monitoring mechanisms include geo-tagging of assets, third-party inspections, and Decision Support Systems.
* Tools like Handbooks, Unique IDs, and Village/District Dashboards are also being utilized.
* **O&M Policy and Funding:**
* States/UTs have been advised to implement comprehensive O&M policies, including handing over schemes to GPs/VWSCs.
* VWSCs should be empowered to levy user charges, engaging women SHGs for collection.
* States/UTs are advised to utilize tied grants for water and sanitation under the 15th Finance Commission for O&M.
* If there is a shortfall in funding, States/UTs must allocate adequate budgetary provisions to maintain assets created under JJM.
* **Technological Interventions:**
* States/UTs are advised to explore technological interventions such as solar energy-based stand-alone water supply systems to reduce O&M charges and dependence on electric supply, especially in scattered/isolated/tribal villages.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: States/UTs (including Chhattisgarh)**
* **Impact:**
* Responsible for the implementation and monitoring of the JJM.
* Required to adopt comprehensive O&M policies and ensure the long-term functionality of tap water connections.
* Responsible for managing and allocating funds for the O&M of water supply schemes.
* **Action Required:**
* Implement effective monitoring mechanisms and conduct regular reviews.
* Develop and implement comprehensive O&M policies.
* Explore technological interventions for sustainable water supply.
* Utilize the grants of the Fifteenth Finance Commission and make adequate budgetary provisions for O&M.
**Stakeholder: Gram Panchayats (GPs) / Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs)**
* **Impact:**
* May be responsible for the O&M of water supply schemes.
* Empowered to levy user charges.
* **Action Required:**
* Be prepared to take on the O&M responsibilities of water supply schemes.
* Collect user charges effectively, potentially with the assistance of women SHGs.
**Stakeholder: Rural Households**
* **Impact:**
* Beneficiaries of the Jal Jeevan Mission, receiving tap water connections.
* Potentially responsible for paying user charges for water supply.
* **Action Required:**
* Utilize the tap water connections provided.
* Pay user charges as required to support the O&M of the water supply system.
Key Entities Referenced
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): A mission to provide tap water connection to every rural household.
Har Ghar Jal Yojana: An initiative under the Jal Jeevan Mission to ensure tap water supply to every household.
Chhattisgarh: Indian state specifically mentioned in the context of the Har Ghar Jal initiative.
Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs): Local committees responsible for generating user charges and O&M of water supply.
Fifteenth Finance Commission: Referenced for its tied grants related to water and sanitation.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 929
ANSWERED ON 05/02/2026
HAR GHAR JAL YOJANA
929. SHRI BRIJMOHAN AGRAWAL
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) the details of ‘Har Ghar Jal’ initiative along with the number of beneficiaries benefitted
therefrom in the country, particularly in Chhattisgarh as on January, 2026;
(b) the details of mechanisms in place to monitor the long-term functionality of tap
connections and track the “slippage” of covered habitations into non-functional status, State-
wise including Chhattisgarh;
(c) the current status of Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) regarding their
capacity to generate user charges sufficient for hundred per cent Operation and Maintenance
(O&M) costs;
(d) whether the Government has facilitated the utilization of the Fifteenth Finance
Commission tied grants specifically for pump repairs and clearing electricity dues in Gram
Panchayats and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the special measures taken/proposed to be taken for ensuring sustainable water supply
in remote tribal hamlets facing high power costs for pumping?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI V. SOMANNA)
(a) to (e) Since August 2019, the Government of India is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission
(JJM) – Har Ghar Jal, in partnership with States/ UTs, to make provision of tap water
connection to every rural household of the country. As reported by States/ UTs as on
02.02.2026, out of 19.36 crore rural households in the country, more than 15.79 crore (81.59%)
households have tap water connections across the country. Further, out of 49.97 lakh rural
households in Chhattisgarh, more than 41.01 lakh households are reported to have tap water
connections in the state.
For the regular Operations and Maintenance (O&M) of water supply schemes, all
States/UTs including Chhattisgarh and to ensure effective implementation and monitoring of
the ongoing works inter alia including solar-based water schemes, a comprehensive multi-level
and multi-format system of monitoring inter alia regular review of implementation, workshops/
Page 1 of 2conferences/ webinars for capacity building, training, knowledge sharing, field visits by multi-
disciplinary team to provide technical support, monitoring mechanism such as geo-tagging of
assets created, third-party inspections before making payments, Decision Support System for
strengthening Source Sustainability, Handbook on Community Managed Piped Water
Systems, Unique ID for integrated Piped Water System, Village/ District Dashboards and
linking Village Level Dashboards to e-Gramswaraj portal, District Collectors’ Peyjal Samvad,
etc. have been put in place.
Further, all States/UTs including Chhattisgarh have been advised to put in place
comprehensive O&M Policy with a provision for handing over of schemes to GPs/ VWSCs,
empowering them to levy user charges, engaging women SHGs for the collection of user
charges. It has also been advised to utilize tied grant for water and sanitation under 15th Finance
Commission for the purpose of O&M of the water supply schemes. In case of shortfall, the
States/ UTs shall make adequate budgetary provisions to ensure that all the assets created under
JJM are maintained properly. States/ UTs have also been advised to explore technological
interventions such as Solar energy based stand-alone water supply systems so as to reduce
O&M charges and dependence of electric supply for scattered/ isolated/ tribal villages.
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