Parliament Question: Sustainability of Water Sources

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 951 ANSWERED ON 05/02/2026 SUSTAINABILITY OF WATER SOURCES 951. SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE SHRI VISHALDADA PRAKASHBAPU PATIL SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR SMT. BHARTI PARDHI SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware that the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through individual household tap connections by 2026, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (b) the manner in which the Government plans to ensure the sustainability of water sources to meet the objectives of JJM; (c) whether the Government has implemented any measures to promote water conservation and rainwater harvesting at the community level, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; (d) the steps being taken to address the challenges faced by rural areas in accessing clean drinking water; and (e) whether the Government has set specific targets for the completion of JJM, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI V. SOMANNA) (a) Government of India is committed to make provision for safe & potable tap water supply in adequate quantity (55 lpcd), of prescribed quality and on a regular & long-term basis to all rural households in the country. Towards this end, the Government of India launched the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), to be implemented in partnership with States/ UTs in August 2019. Drinking Water is a state subject, and hence, the responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation, and maintenance of drinking water supply schemes, including those under JJM, lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance. Page 1 of 3Significant progress has been made in the country since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, towards enhancing access to tap water to rural households. At the start of Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, only 3.23 Crore (16.72%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported, more than 12.55 crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM. Thus, as on 28.01.2026, out of 19.36 Crore rural households in the country, more than 15.79 Crore (81.57%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes. The proposal for continuation of Jal Jeevan Mission till December 2028 is under consideration of the Central Government. (b) 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), 15th 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. Morever, 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 and "Nari Shakti se Jal Shakti" in 2024. Similarly, JSA is being implemented with the theme “Peoples' Action for Water Conservation - Towards Intensified Community Connect” emphasizing the pivotal role of community in the field of water conservation. Further, to ensure sustainably of groundwater resources, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) initiated a pilot on source sustainability in four States namely Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. During this pilot study, CGWB officers visited all the villages in the study areas and collected basic field-level information, assessed demand and supply components of groundwater, and evaluated monsoon runoff availability. CGWB have also imparted trainings on Source Sustainability Interventions to the respective State Govt. officials to enable them to undertake similar studies in their respective areas. (c) 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 graywater management. CGWB conducts various programs related to promotion of water conservation and rainwater harvesting at community level, which are as follows: • Central Ground Water Board organizes various Public Interaction Programs (PIP), Mass Awareness Programs (MAP), Tier II and Tier –III programmes on local ground water issues, wherein the local public is made aware of rainwater harvesting techniques and conservation of water harvesting structures. • Training programmes such as Source Sustainability trainings have been conducted on Ground Water Management through Participatory approach where information about conservation of traditional water harvesting structures have been provided and trainees have also been taken to visit these structures for exposure. Page 2 of 3• Mass awareness programmes (Trainings, Seminars, Workshops, Exhibitions and Trade Fairs etc.) are conducted from time to time each year under the Information, Education & Communication (IEC) Scheme of DoWR, RD & GR in various parts of the country to promote rain water harvesting and artificial recharge to ground water. (d) The Ministry of Jal Shakti is addressing rural clean water challenges under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) by accelerating Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs), implementing technology-based water quality monitoring (2,800+ labs), and training 24.8 lakh women in Field Testing Kits (FTKs). Key steps include strengthening Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), Geo-tagging assets on the PM GatiShakti portal, and focusing on source sustainability through rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge in partnership with States/UTs. (e) The proposal for continuation of Jal Jeevan Mission till December 2028 is under consideration of the Central Government. ***** Page 3 of 3