Material costs have been spiralling with no relief in sight

28 May 2022 CW Team

Sectors across all industries have been reeling under the relentless rise in prices. Cement prices have surged by 25 per cent from April 2020, bitumen 87 per cent, MS plates 115 per cent and tor steel by 78 per cent. This rise has been attributed to the ongoing Ukraine-Russia war which has caused a severe economic shock to global economies and adversely affected the availability of steel and other commodities.

Why have prices risen?
“We are not inflating prices to improve our margins,” says Akshat Saraf, Director, Radha Smelters. “It is purely a response to market conditions.” While geopolitical turbulence is one aspect, other factors have pushed up steel prices, including China’s upgraded environmental policies that no longer allow their mills to function owing to environmental damage, shortage of coal and the resulting price volatility, and dependency on iron ore exports.

“While the situation of cement is the same as steel, the problem is that the price increase is not getting absorbed in the market,” explains…

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Infrastructure Urban

13 Mar 2026

Implementation Status of Jal Jeevan Mission

Since August 2019 the Government has implemented Jal Jeevan Mission to provide assured potable water through household tap connections in rural India. At the start of the mission only 32.3 million (mn) rural households, representing 16.7 per cent, were reported to have tap water connections. States and union territories have reported that 125.8 mn additional rural households have since been provided with tap connections. As a result, of about 193.6 mn rural households roughly 158.2 mn, or 81.71 per cent, are reported to have tap water supply at home.\n\nThe State, district and village level st..

Jal Jeevan Mission Reaches Eighty One Per Cent Rural Coverage

The Government reported substantial progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in August 2019 to provide tap water to every rural household. At launch only 32.3 million (mn) rural households had tap connections and states and Union territories reported provision of 125.8 mn additional households by March 2026. Consequently, out of about 193.6 mn rural households around 158.2 mn, or 81.71 per cent, are reported to have tap water at home. The Finance Minister announced extension of the mission until 2028 in the 2025-26 budget speech. The Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen, launched in October 20..

Empowering Local Governance for Sustainable Rural Water Supply

The Ministry of Jal Shakti has aligned the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) with the 73rd Amendment to strengthen village level planning and community ownership of water supply. Gram Panchayats, village water and sanitation committees and Pani Samitis are to plan, implement, manage and maintain piped water systems, with gram sabha processes formalising handover and oversight. Implementation support agencies including non government organisations, community based organisations and self help groups have been empanelled to train local committees and promote women participation. Under JJM, the department ..