Jal Jeevan Mission provides tap water to 130 mn rural homes

The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has achieved a significant milestone by providing tap water connections to 130 million rural households. This life-changing mission, characterised by its remarkable speed and scale, has increased rural tap connection coverage from a mere 32.3 million households at the outset in August 2019 to a staggering 130 million households in just four years. The Jal Jeevan Mission was inaugurated by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi on August 15, 2019, during India's 73rd Independence Day celebrations.Currently, six states (Goa, Telangana, Haryana, Gujarat, Punjab, and Himachal Pradesh) and three Union Territories (Puducherry, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands) have achieved 100% tap water coverage. Bihar, at 96.39%, and Mizoram, at 92.12%, are also on the verge of reaching full saturation in the near future. These regions have received the Har Ghar Jal certification, indicating that all households and public institutions in these areas are receiving a consistent, safe, and adequate water supply. Remarkably, 145 districts and 186,818 villages across the country have now reported complete 100% coverage.This mission is carried out in collaboration with states and Union Territories, with the combined efforts of various stakeholders and development partners leading to transformative change on the ground. A tap water connection is being installed every second, reshaping the rural landscape of the nation. Since January 1, 2023, an average of 87,500 tap connections is being provided every day, with Uttar Pradesh leading the progress chart this fiscal year by installing 6.105 million Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs).The relentless efforts of both the central and state governments have also ensured tap water supply in 915,000 (88.73%) schools and 952,000 (84.69%) anganwadi centres across the country. In the 112 aspirational districts of India, where only 2.141 million households had access to tap water at the time of the mission's launch, this number has now surged to 18.1 million (66.48%).The Har Ghar Jal initiative is delivering significant socio-economic benefits to rural populations. Regular tap water supply has liberated people, especially women and young girls, from the age-old burden of carrying heavy buckets of water for their daily needs. The time saved can now be invested in income-generating activities, skill development, and supporting children's education.To ensure the long-term sustainability of these schemes, community participation has been at the core of planning, implementation, and maintenance of rural piped water supply systems right from the beginning. Over 527,000 Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSC) or Pani Samitis have been established in the country, and 512,000 Village Action Plans (VAPs) have been formulated. These plans include strategies for augmenting drinking water sources, treating and reusing greywater, and ensuring the regular operation and maintenance of in-village water supply systems.At the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission, 22,016 habitations, including 14,020 affected by Arsenic and 7,996 by Fluoride contamination in drinking water sources, were identified, impacting a population of 179 million (Arsenic-119 million, Fluoride-59 million). According to reports from states and Union Territories, safe drinking water is now accessible in all of these Arsenic and Fluoride-affected habitations.