Since August 2019, Government of India in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal to make provision of potable water to every rural household of the country by 2024 including  those in remote areas, through tap water connection at a service level of 55 litre per capita per day (lpcd), of prescribed quality (BIS:10500), on regular and long-term basis.

At the time of announcement of Jal Jeevan Mission, 3.23 Crore rural households were reported to have tap water connections.  So far, 6.71 Crore households, have been provided with tap water connections in last 35 months. Thus, as of date, out of 19.14 Crore rural households in the country, around 9.94 Crore (51.92%) households are reported to have tap water supply in their homes and the remaining 9.10 Crore rural households are planned to be covered by 2024. State-wise details of rural households with tap water connections i.e. piped water connection is at Annex-I.

Further, as informed by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, AMRUT was launched on 25 June, 2015 in selected 500 cities across all States/ Union Territories (UTs) with focus on providing infrastructure in the sectors of water supply, sewerage and septage management, storm water drainage, non-motorized urban transport, and green spaces and parks. So far, out of target of providing 139 lakh tap connections to achieve universal water supply coverage in the selected cities, 130 lakh household water tap connections have been provided under AMRUT and in convergence with other schemes. State-wise details of household tap connections provided under AMRUT and in convergence with other schemes at given at Annex – II.

Government of India is now implementing AMRUT 2.0 for the period of 05 years (FY 2021-22 to 2025-26), with the objective of providing universal coverage of water supply through functional household tap connections in all statutory towns in the country. 

Under JJM for ensuring safe drinking water supply and States/ UTs have been advised to carry out testing of drinking water sources once in year for chemical and physical parameters and twice in a year for bacteriological parameters. To enable States/ UTs to test water samples for water quality, and for sample collection, reporting, monitoring, and surveillance of drinking water sources, an online JJM – Water Quality Management Information System (WQMIS) portal has been developed.

States/ UTs have also been advised to identify and train 5 persons, preferably women, in each village viz. ASHA workers, health workers, VWSC members, teachers, etc. to conduct water quality tests using FTKs/ bacteriological vials at village level and report the same on the portal.

Further, to encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply, States/ UTs have been advised to open water quality testing laboratories to public for testing of their water samples at a nominal rate. Also, up to 2% of the allocation to States/ UTs can be utilized for Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance activities.

This information was given by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Shri Prahlad Singh Patel in a written reply in Rajya Sabha today.

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AS