Nearing its goal of providing tap water connection in every rural household by 2024, the ‘Har Ghar Jal’ programme implemented by Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti has achieved the milestone of 50 per cent of rural households having access to tap water connections.

While Goa, Telangana, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, Puducherry and Haryana have already achieved 100 per cent household connections, Punjab, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Bihar have coverage of more than 90 per cent and are progressing fast towards attaining the status of ‘Har Ghar Jal’.

At the start of JJM in August 2019, out of 18.93 crore rural households in the country, only 3.23 crore households, i.e. 17 per cent of the rural population, had access to drinking water through taps. Today, over 9.59 crore rural households are getting water within their premises.

As of 27 May, 108 districts, 1,222 blocks, 71,667 Gram Panchayats and 1,51,171 villages have become ‘Har Ghar Jal,’ wherein all rural households have been provided with drinking water through taps.

“Women and girls in these households are now free from the drudgery of walking long distances in scorching heat, rain and snow in search of water,” the Ministry of Jal Shakti said.

“The burden of arranging water for daily household needs mostly fell on women and young girls. There is sufficient evidence to suggest that school attendance among girls was significantly lower in summers when due to increased requirements for water, multiple trips were needed. After the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission and improvement in access to tap water connection within their premises, considerable improvement in this regard has been noticed,” it added.

JJM has been given a top priority by PM Modi led government. Many political analysts attribute JJM, among important factors, to an increased share of support among women to the BJP led government.

In 2021-22, over Rs 40,000 crore grant had been released to States and UTs under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Further, the budget under Jal Jeevan Mission for 2022-23 has been enhanced to Rs 60,000 crore.

In October 2021, Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi launched the Jal Jeevan Mission App and Rashtriya Jal Jeevan Kosh.

The Jal Jeevan Mission App helps improve awareness among stakeholders and for greater transparency and accountability of schemes under the Mission.

Through Rashtriya Jal Jeevan Kosh, any individual, institution, corporation, or philanthropist, be it in India or abroad, can help provide tap water connection in every rural household, school, Anganwadi centre, ashram shala, and other public institutions.