See Full Document Text
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION
RAJYA SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. *245
ANSWERED ON 16/03/2026
SURVEYS CONDUCTED UNDER JJM USING GOOGLE IMAGES
*245. DR. KANIMOZHI NVN SOMU:
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) Whether Government is aware that surveys under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) have been
conducted using Google images instead of door-to-door survey and if so, the details thereof;
(b) Whether these surveys have resulted in a large number of households being left out, incorrect
data being reported and water connections being provided without having concern for water supply;
(c) If so, the details thereof; and
(d) The corrective action taken by Government in this regard?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI C R PATIL)
(a) to (d) A statement is laid on the table of the House.
Page 1 of 2Statement referred to in reply of Rajya Sabha Starred Question No. 245 answered on
16/03/2026.
(a) to (d) The Government of India is driving a comprehensive transformation of the nation’s water
landscape through its flagship initiative, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal. Since August
2019, Government of India, in partnership with States, is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)-
Har Ghar Jal to enable every rural household in the country, to have assured potable water through
tap connection.
Water being a State subject, the responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation, and
maintenance of drinking water supply schemes/ works, including those under the Jal Jeevan Mission,
lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical
and financial assistance only. If any cases of Google images being used for survey or any such
deviations from procedure are reported, necessary action is taken by States as per extant rules.
Further, to enhance transparency and to ensure technically sound implementation of Jal Jeevan
Mission and also to ensure ground truthing of assets, the Sujalam Bharat database is a digital platform
designed for States / UTs to systematically map, geotag, and monitor rural water supply assets. It
enables field-level data capture and validation for bulk water, out-village, and in-
village components, generating unique Sujal Gaon IDs. As a foundational Digital Public
Infrastructure (DPI), it creates a GIS-based digital asset registry, linking infrastructure components
to ensure a seamless, transparent, and data-driven supply chain from source to household.
As per the Operational Guidelines of ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’, it is the responsibility of National Jal
Jeevan Mission (NJJM) to carry out regular functionality assessment, evaluation and impact
assessment. For the purpose, NJJM selects a 3rd party agency through open tendering. In such
assessment(s), State/ UTs are given a functionality score on the basis of functionality of samples on
quantity (55lpcd or more), quality and regularity i.e. water supply to rural households for all 12
months in a year or on daily basis. All these parameters are taken to define the functionality of the
HH tap water connections, as per specified criteria.
Since starting of the mission in August 2019, three functionality assessment survey has been
conducted in 2020- 21, 2021-22 and 2024-25. The reports of the last functionality assessment 2024
is also available in public domain at following URL:
https://jaljeevanmission.gov.in/functionality-report-2024
To ensure regular, adequate, and quality rural water supply, the Department launched "Jal Seva
Aankalan" on 30 December 2025. Under this initiative, the Village Water & Sanitation Committee
(VWSC) conducts village-level assessments. Following a Gram Sabha presentation, the Panchayat
Secretary digitally submits the data on the JJM-IMIS Dashboard for ‘Har Ghar Jal’ villages. District
and State authorities then review this information to identify service gaps and formulate
effective improvement plans for sustainable water management.
*****
Page 2 of 2