Parliament Question: Water Supply and Conservation Problems in Jammu

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. †903 ANSWERED ON 23/07/2026 WATER SUPPLY AND CONSERVATION PROBLEMS IN JAMMU †903. SHRI JUGAL KISHORE: Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government is aware of the fact that problems related to drinking water supply, water conservation and irrigation persist in many rural and urban areas of the Jammu Lok Sabha Constituency and if so, the details thereof; (b) the details of the projects sanctioned and completed under the Jal Jeevan Mission, Atal Bhujal Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana and other Central schemes; (c) whether the Government proposes to strengthen drinking water supply, conserve water sources and approve new drinking water supply and irrigation projects in water-stressed areas; and (d) if so, the details thereof along with the time likely to be taken in this regard? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI V. SOMANNA) (a) & (b) Drinking Water is a ‘State’ subject, and hence, under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the responsibility of planning, approval, implementation, operation & maintenance of drinking water supply schemes lies with State/UT Governments. The Government of India supports the States by providing technical and financial assistance. At the start of JJM in August 2019, only 0.49 lakh (25.79%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections in Jammu district of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K). So far, more than 0.77 lakh additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections under JJM. Thus, as on 15.07.2026, out of 1.89 lakh rural households in the district, more than 1.26 lakh (66.71%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes. As numerous projects are implemented concurrently at various levels across the States/UTs for achieving the envisaged objectives, project-wise details of individual projects/ schemes for rural water supply projects are maintained at the State Government level. Further, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs has informed that ‘Water’ being a State subject, financial and technical support to the States/UTs is provided through its schemes/ Missions such as Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation 2.0 (AMRUT 2.0) for improvement/ augmentation of basic infrastructure in the sectors of water supply, sewerage Page 1 of 2and septage management, water body rejuvenation and parks and green spaces through approved projects. AMRUT 2.0 was launched in the year 2021 in all Urban Local Bodies (ULBs)/ cities, enabling the cities to become 'self-reliant' and 'water secure'. Providing universal coverage of sewerage and septage management in 500 AMRUT cities is one of the major focus areas of AMRUT 2.0. Rejuvenation of water bodies and development of green spaces and parks are other components of the mission. Under the Mission, States/ Union Territories (UTs) are empowered to select, appraise, prioritize and implement projects. Under AMRUT 2.0, the UT of J&K has taken up 16 projects worth ₹137.88 crore (including operation and Maintenance cost) under water supply and water body rejuvenation sectors in the districts of Jammu, Rajauri, Reasi and Samba. As reported by Dept. of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR,RD&GR), Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) was launched during the year 2015-16, with an aim to enhance physical access of water on farm and expand cultivable area under assured irrigation, improve on-farm water use efficiency, introduce sustainable water conservation practices, etc. In the UT of J&K, three irrigation projects, namely Rajpora Lift Irrigation Project, Tral Lift Irrigation Project and Restoration and Modernisation of main Ravi Canal, have been completed under PMKSY-AIBP. An additional irrigation potential of 6.52 thousand hectares has been created and command area of 2.28 thousand hectares have been developed, since 2016, under these projects. In addition, DoWR, RD&GR has informed that Atal Bhujal Yojana was a pilot scheme and was not implemented in UT of J&K. (c) & (d) Since 2019, under JJM, 30% weightage has been assigned for difficult terrains which inter alia include areas under Desert Development Programme (DDP) and Drought Prone Area Programme (DPAP) while allocating the funds under JJM, to prioritize the coverage in these areas. Provisions have also been made for planning and implementation of bulk water transfer from long distances and regional water supply schemes for ensuring tap water supply in drought-prone & water scarce areas/ areas with inadequate rainfall or dependable ground water sources. In addition, States/UTs have been advised for source recharging, viz. dedicated bore well recharge structures, rainwater recharge, rejuvenation of existing water bodies, etc., in convergence with other schemes such as VB-G RAM G, Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), Finance Commission tied grants to RLBs/ PRIs, State schemes, CSR funds, etc. The Union Cabinet has approved extension of the JJM up to December 2028, with an enhanced outlay and a restructured implementation framework focusing on structural reforms in the rural drinking water supply sector under JJM 2.0. No new piped water supply schemes shall be taken up under JJM 2.0. However, in PM-JANMAN and DA-JGUA areas, a Committee with representatives from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ministry of Rural Development, and Ministry of Panchayati Raj, shall examine and approve the State Action Plans pertaining to such schemes as per extant guidelines. ***** Page 2 of 2