Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Jal Shakti addresses Lok Sabha question 3136 regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). As of August 4, 2025, approximately 12.45 Crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections since August 2019, bringing the total to over 15.68 Crore out of 19.36 Crore rural households. The government is addressing implementation challenges through financial and technical assistance to states, along with water conservation initiatives.
Key Points / Main Content:
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Progress:
- Since August 2019, the JJM "Har Ghar Jal" initiative aims to provide potable water to every rural household through functional tap water connections.
- At the Mission's announcement, 3.23 Crore rural households had tap water connections.
- As of 04.08.2025, about 12.45 Crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections, including 28.15 lakh connections in 2025.
- Currently, over 15.68 Crore (80.99%) out of 19.36 Crore rural households have tap water supply.
Challenges in Implementation:
- Lack of dependable water sources in stressed areas.
- Geogenic contaminants in groundwater.
- Uneven geographical terrain and scattered habitations.
- Delays in state share release.
- Lack of technical capacity at local levels.
- Delays in statutory clearances.
Government Steps to Address Challenges:
- Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure via interest-free loans.
- Nodal officer coordination for statutory clearances.
- Establishment of State and District Programme Management Units (SPMU/DPMU).
- Nal Jal Mitra Programme for local skilled personnel.
- Emphasis on source recharging (bore well recharge, rainwater recharge, rejuvenation of water bodies, greywater reuse) in convergence with schemes like MGNREGS and IWMP.
Water Conservation Initiatives:
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan (JSA) campaigns to encourage water conservation:
- Launched in August 2019 for 256 water-stressed districts.
- Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain (JSA: CTR) launched in 2021, now an annual feature.
- JSA: CTR 2023 theme: "Source Sustainability for Drinking Water".
- JSA: CTR 2024 theme: "Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti".
- JSA: CTR 2025 theme: "People's Action for Water Conservation Towards Intensified Community Connect".
- "Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari" (JSJB) initiative for water conservation through collective efforts.
Impact Analysis:
States and Union Territories:
- Impact: Responsible for planning, designing, approving, and implementing drinking water supply schemes; face challenges such as water scarcity, contamination, and delays.
- Action Required: Implement JJM, address challenges, and coordinate with the Central Government for technical and financial assistance.
Rural Households:
- Impact: Aim to receive potable water through functional tap water connections.
- Action Required: Participate in water conservation efforts and utilize the provided tap water connections responsibly.
Government of India (Ministry of Jal Shakti):
- Impact: Responsible for providing technical and financial assistance to States/UTs and monitoring the progress of JJM.
- Action Required: Continue to supplement state efforts, address implementation challenges, and promote water conservation initiatives.
Implementing Agencies, Gram Panchayats, and Local Communities:
- Impact: Play a crucial role in planning, managing, operating, and maintaining water supply schemes at the local level.
- Action Required: Develop technical capacity, manage schemes efficiently, and ensure community participation.
Key Entities Referenced
Jal Jeevan Mission: A Government of India initiative, also known as JJM Har Ghar Jal, to provide potable water to every rural household through functional tap water connections.
Ministry of Jal Shakti: The Indian government ministry responsible for water resources.
Shri V. Somanna: Minister of State for Jal Shakti.
MGNREGS: Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, a program for enhancing livelihood security of households in rural areas of India.
Integrated Watershed Management Programme: A watershed development program aimed at restoring ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing degraded natural resources with community participation.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan: A campaign launched in August 2019 for water stressed districts of the country to encourage water conservation at the grassroots level with people's participation.
Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain: A campaign with the theme Catch the Rain Where it Falls When it Falls to cover all the blocks of all districts rural as well as urban areas across the country.
Nal Jal Mitra Programme: A program for ensuring availability of skilled local persons at the village level to bridge the gap in availability of technical skill sets and of HR for programme management.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3136
ANSWERED ON 07.08.2025
HOUSEHOLDS CONNECTED UNDER JAL JEEVAN MISSION
3136. DR. MALLU RAVI:
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) the number of rural households newly connected with tap water supply under Jal Jeevan
Mission (JJM) in 2025;
(b) whether any States or Union Territories have reported delays or bottlenecks in the
implementation of JJM and if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to address the same?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI V. SOMANNA)
(a) Since August 2019, Government of India in partnership with States is implementing Jal
Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal to make provision of potable water to every rural household of
the country, through functional tap water connection. At the time of announcement of JJM, 3.23
Crore (17%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by
States/ UTs as on 04.08.2025, around 12.45 Crore additional rural households have been provided
with tap water connections, including 28.15 lakh connections in the year 2025 so far. Thus, as on
04.08.2025, out of 19.36 Crore rural households, more than 15.68 Crore (80.99%) households are
reported to have tap water supply in their homes.
(b) & (c) Drinking Water being a State subject, it is States, who plan, design, approve and
implement drinking water supply schemes. Government of India supplements the efforts of the
States by providing technical and financial assistance. States have informed that lack of dependable
drinking water sources in water-stressed, drought prone and desert areas, presence of geo-genic
contaminants in ground water, uneven geographical terrain, scattered rural habitations, delay in
release of the matching State share in some States, lack of technical capacity with implementing
agencies, Gram Panchayats and local communities to plan, manage, operate & maintain the water
supply schemes, delay in obtaining statutory/ other clearances, etc. are few of problems being faced
in the implementation of the Mission.
Page 1 of 2To address the challenges holistically and overcome these, Government of India has taken a number
of steps, inter alia including implementation of Special Assistance to States for Capital Expenditure
through M/o Finance for financial assistance as 50-year interest free loan for capital investment
projects; nomination of a nodal officer in the Department for coordinating with Central nodal
Ministries/ Departments/ agencies to facilitate the States in obtaining Statutory/ other clearances;
setting up of State Programme Management Units (SPMUs) and District Programme Management
Units (DPMUs) and implementation of “Nal Jal Mitra Programme” for ensuring availability of
skilled local persons at village level to bridge the gap in availability of technical skill sets and of HR
for programme management.
Under the Mission, States 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), 15th Finance Commission tied grants to RLBs/ PRIs, State schemes, CSR
funds, etc.
Further, Jal Shakti Abhiyan campaign, launched in August 2019 for 256 water stressed districts of
the country, encouraged water conservation at grass-root levels with people's participation. In
2021, “Jal Shakti Abhiyan: Catch the Rain” (JSA: CTR) with the theme “Catch the Rain – Where it
Falls When it Falls” was launched to cover all the blocks of all districts (rural as well as urban
areas) across the country. JSA: CTR has become an annual feature since 2021. JSA: CTR 2023
with the theme “Source Sustainability for Drinking Water” was implemented across the country
from 04.03.2023 to 30.11.2023. Similarly, in 2024, JSA: CTR was implemented with the theme
"Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti" and in 2025, JSA:CTR is being implemented with the theme “People's
Action for Water Conservation - Towards Intensified Community Connect” emphasizing the
pivotal role played by community especially women in the field of water conservation. Moreover,
aiming to ensure conservation of every drop of water through collective efforts, following a whole-
of-society and whole-of-government approach, "Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari" (JSJB) initiative has
also been taken up as part of the JSA: CTR campaign.
*****
Page 2 of 2