After Falling Short By Four Crore Tap Connections, Water Ministry Pushes Jal Jeevan Mission Completion Target To 2025

The Jal Shakti Ministry has revised its target year to 2025 for achieving the ambitious goals of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), after falling short of the initial 2024 deadline to provide tap water connections to all rural households.

Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, over 15.37 crore rural households out of a total of 19.36 crore have been equipped with tap water connections. However, around four crore households remain uncovered.

Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil expressed optimism about achieving full coverage, stating, "All the four crore connections are at some level of completion, and though it is a state subject, we have urged all states and Union territories to accelerate their efforts to ensure 100 per cent coverage as soon as possible."

11 states and Union territories have already achieved complete rural tap water coverage. However, states like Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Kerala, and West Bengal are trailing with less than 60 per cent coverage. Ministry officials have assured that bridging these gaps will remain a priority in 2025.

Of the country's 5,86,707 villages, 5,60,897 have achieved this milestone. Uttar Pradesh leads with 93,947 villages, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 50,580 villages, and Maharashtra with 37,327 villages.

Highlighting sanitation progress, officials noted that 11.76 crore individual household latrines have been constructed since the launch of SBM-G in 2014. By 2025, the ministry aims to ensure the remaining villages achieve ODF Plus status.

Ecological restoration under the Namami Gange Programme is also progressing. The ministry has reintroduced 1,428 gharials and 1,899 turtles into the Ganga and its tributaries, improving water quality.

Conservation efforts include surveys in 27 districts of Uttar Pradesh and management plans for 387 wetlands in Bihar. Additionally, afforestation on 1,34,104 hectares within the Ganga basin is targeted for completion by 2025 to enhance ecological balance.