Jal Jeevan Mission Nears 81% Rural Coverage

• Over 80.94% of India’s rural households now have piped drinking water under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
• The mission has connected an additional 12.44 crore households since its launch in 2019.
• The Jal Jeevan Mission is extended to 2028 with increased funding, targeting 100% coverage.

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 25th July: The Centre’s flagship Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal, has achieved a significant milestone, providing piped drinking water to over 80.94% of rural households across India as of July 22, 2025. This marks a substantial increase from just 16.7% coverage (3.23 crore households) when the mission was launched in August 2019.

According to V Somanna, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, in a statement to Parliament, an additional 12.44 crore households have gained tap water connections, bringing the total to 15.67 crore out of 19.36 crore rural households nationwide.

The Jal Jeevan Mission, implemented in partnership with states and Union Territories, was initially planned until 2024 but has been extended to 2028, as announced in the 2025-26 Union Budget. This extension comes with increased funding and a new goal to achieve 100% household tap water coverage within the next three years.

Several States and UTs have already achieved full coverage, with 11 reaching 100% tap water access for rural households. These include Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman and Diu, Haryana, Telangana, Puducherry, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh. Other states showing strong progress are Uttarakhand (97.6%), Ladakh (96.88%), and Bihar (95.7%), with seven states now having over 90% coverage.

However, some states are lagging, with Kerala reporting only 54.66% coverage as of July 21, 2025. Rajasthan, West Bengal, and Jharkhand are also noted for slower progress in rural tap water coverage. Conversely, states like Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh have made remarkable strides; Madhya Pradesh increased connections from 13.53 lakh in 2019 to 78.56 lakh by July 21, 2025, and Uttar Pradesh from 5.16 lakh to 2.4 crore by July 23 this year.

The Jal Shakti Ministry has an available central allocation of Rs 3,881.88 crore under JJM, with Maharashtra and Karnataka receiving the highest allocations of Rs 970 crore and Rs 688 crore, respectively. These funds are designated to support ongoing infrastructure development, pipeline expansion, and water quality monitoring in rural areas across India.