**Executive Summary**
This document is a response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 791 regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) in Nashik, answered on December 4, 2025. It details the progress of tap water connections to rural households in Maharashtra, specifically in Nashik district, under the JJM. The response outlines initiatives to ensure water quality, challenges faced in implementation, and steps taken by the Government to overcome these.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) Overview:**
* The JJM is a national initiative implemented in partnership with States/UTs since August 2019, to provide tap water supply to every rural household.
* Drinking water is a state subject and the power to plan, approve and implement drinking water supply schemes/projects is vested in the State Government.
* **Progress in Maharashtra:**
* Significant progress has been made since the launch of JJM.
* As of December 1, 2025, 132.36 lakh (90.18%) out of 146.78 lakh rural households in Maharashtra have tap water supply, compared to 48.44 lakh (33%) in August 2019.
* **Progress in Nashik:**
* 6.76 lakh (94.22%) out of 7.18 lakh rural households in Nashik have tap water supply, compared to 1.71 lakh (23.85%) in August 2019.
* **Water Supply Quality and Inspections:**
* Payments to contractors under JJM are made only after third-party inspections.
* National functionality assessment 2024 found 97.9% of households in Nashik with tap water connections, with 99.9% in working condition. 63.3% receive adequate quantity, 90.3% receive potable water, and 99.2% get regular supply.
* **Water Quality Testing:**
* Revised testing protocol requires 2 samples per village per month for chemical and bacteriological parameters.
* Nashik district has 7 water quality testing laboratories accessible to the public at nominal rates.
* **Challenges in Implementation:**
* Challenges include lack of dependable water sources, geo-genic contaminants, uneven terrain, scattered habitations, and lack of local capacity.
* **Government Steps:**
* To expedite implementation, the Government of India has taken steps including discussion and finalization of annual action plans, regular reviews, workshops, and field visits.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Rural Households in Nashik**
* **Impact:** Improved access to tap water supply, contributing to better health and quality of life.
* **Action Required:** Ensure proper use and maintenance of tap water connections.
**Stakeholder: State Government of Maharashtra**
* **Impact:** Responsible for planning, approving, and implementing drinking water supply schemes/projects in Nashik.
* **Action Required:** Continued efforts to expand tap water coverage, ensure water quality, and address implementation challenges.
**Stakeholder: Contractors**
* **Impact:** Subject to third-party inspections before payments are cleared under JJM.
* **Action Required:** Ensure high-quality work that meets JJM standards and passes inspection.
**Stakeholder: Local Village Communities**
* **Impact:** Expected to manage and operate in-village water supply infrastructure.
* **Action Required:** Build capacity to manage and operate water supply systems effectively.
Key Entities Referenced
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM): A program to provide tap water supply to every rural household in the country.
Ministry of Jal Shakti: The central ministry responsible for the Jal Jeevan Mission.
Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS): A department that undertook the national functionality assessment 2024.
Nashik: District in Maharashtra where uninterrupted water supply is the topic of the question.
Maharashtra: State where Jal Jeevan Mission is being implemented.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI
DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 791
ANSWERED ON 04.12.2025
UNINTERRUPTED SUPPLY OF WATER IN NASHIK
791. SHRI RAJABHAU PARAG PRAKASH WAJE
Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:
(a) the statistical details of households in Nashik district currently receiving 24x7 tap water supply
without any interruptions during the last three years;
(b) the statistical details of third-party inspections conducted in Nashik to check the sustainability
and quality of water supply infrastructure under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) before clearing
payments to contractors;
(c) the data on the frequency of water sample testing to ensure the quality of drinking water supplied
to households in Nashik including irregularities found, if any;
(d) the details of water testing laboratories established in Nashik district including their capacity,
operational status and the rates fixed for testing drinking water samples; and
(e) the key challenges and bottlenecks faced in implementing JJM in Nashik along with the specific
steps taken by the Government to overcome these, especially in hilly or tribal areas?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI
(SHRI V. SOMANNA)
(a) & (b) Drinking water is a state subject and the power to plan, approve and implement drinking
water supply schemes/ projects is vested in the State Government. Government of India, in
partnership with States/ UTs is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission, since August, 2019, to make
provision of tap water supply to every rural household in the country. Significant progress has been
made in the state of Maharashtra 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 48.44 lakh
(33%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by State,
around 83.92 lakh additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under
JJM. Thus, as on 01.12.2025, out of 146.78 lakh rural households in the state, more than 132.36
lakh (90.18%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes.
Whereas in Nashik, at the start of Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019, only 1.71 lakh (23.85%) rural
households were reported to have tap water connections. So far, as reported by State, around 5.05
Page 1 of 2lakh additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM. Thus,
as on date, out of 7.18 lakh rural households in the state, more than 6.76 lakh (94.22%) households
are reported to have tap water supply in their homes. Further, water supply duration is managed by
local authorities.
As per operational guidelines for implementation of JJM, payment for all works executed under
JJM are to be made only after Third party Inspection of said works.
Furthermore, an assessment of functionality of tap connection is also done nationally. As per the
national functionality assessment 2024 undertaken by the Department of Drinking Water and
Sanitation (DDWS), Nashik district 97.9% of Households were found with tap water connection,
with 99.9% connections in working condition. Out of which, 63.3% households receive adequate
quantity of water, 90.3% receive potable water as per district reports, and 99.2% households get
regular supply.
(c) & (d) To ensure the quality of water supply to households, the department has revised the testing
protocol for Rural piped water supply system (RPWSS) infrastructure including the delivery points.
As per the protocol, in each village, 2 samples should be collected from different households
(delivery points) every month for both chemical and bacteriological parameters.
As per data reported by the State on WQMIS/ IMIS of this department, there are a total of 7 water
quality testing laboratories in Nashik district of Maharashtra which have the capability/ facilities to
test the for bacteriological and chemical parameters. All these labs can be accessed by the public
for water quality testing at nominal rates.
(e) Lack of dependable drinking water sources in water-stressed areas, presence of geo-genic
contaminants in ground water, uneven geographical terrain, scattered rural habitations, lack of
capacity of the local village communities to manage and operate in-village water supply
infrastructure, etc., are few challenges being faced in the implementation of the mission.
To expedite the planning and implementation, as well as monitoring and handhold States/ UTs
including Maharashtra, Government of India has taken number of steps to plan and implement JJM
in the whole country which inter alia includes discussion and finalization of annual action plan
(AAP) in consultation with States/ UTs, regular review of planning and implementation,
workshops/ conferences/ webinars for capacity building and knowledge sharing, field visits by
multi-disciplinary team to provide technical support, etc.
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