‘Additional demand behind delay in Jal Jeevan Mission’

• Launched in 2019 to provide piped potable tap water to all rural households (approx. 19.3 crore) by 2024.

• Standard: 55 litres per capita per day of water meeting BIS:10500 quality norms.

• Original target (2024) could not be met.

• Extended to 2028 with enhanced financial outlay, as announced in Union Budget 2024.

• Coverage achieved: 80% or 15.6 crore households.

• 2019 baseline: Only 16% (3.2 crore households) had piped water.

• Demand Underestimation:

• Around 4 crore additional households were identified after 2019, increasing the mission’s scope unexpectedly.

• Resource Constraints:

• Groundwater sources were found to be insufficient in many regions.

• Shift to surface water sources (rivers/lakes) demands more infrastructure and higher costs.

• Implementation Issues:

• Contractor errors and delays have slowed progress.

• Underutilisation of funds despite budget allocation, indicating planning or execution bottlenecks.

• Monitoring and Transparency:

• As of June 2025, the official household target remains unchanged (19.3 crore) on the JJM portal despite internal acknowledgements, of increased demand.