Jal Jeevan Mission: Overview & Targets
- Launched in 2019 to provide functional household tap connections (FHTCs) to all rural households by 2024.
- Initial target: 19.3 crore rural households; only 16% (3.2 crore) had tap connections in 2019.
- Aim: 55 litres per capita per day (LPCD) of potable water, conforming to BIS:10500 standards.
Relevance : GS 2(Health , Governance)
Current Progress & Expansion
- As of March 2024: On track with 80% (15.6 crore) coverage.
- Post-March 2024: Target expanded due to the discovery of 4 crore additional households needing connections.
- Minister acknowledged the initial estimate of 19.3 crore households remains unchanged on the official site, causing a data mismatch.
Implementation Challenges
- Groundwater insufficiency in many regions necessitated shift to surface water sources, increasing infrastructure demands.
- Contractor errors and technical issues further delayed implementation.
- Surface water infrastructure is costlier and slower to build.
Funding and Utilisation
- Total expenditure so far: ₹3.6 lakh crore since 2019.
- Budgeted outlay:
- 2023–24: ₹69,992 crore
- 2024–25: ₹70,000 crore
- 2025–26 (projected): ₹67,000 crore
- As of Feb 2025: Only ₹22,694 crore spent out of ₹70,000 crore – indicating underutilisation of ~₹50,000 crore.
Timeline Extension
- Mission deadline extended to 2028 (announced in Union Budget 2024–25) due to expanded scope and infrastructural challenges.
- Despite extension, the original target data hasn’t been revised, affecting transparency.
Key Issues Going Forward
- Ground vs surface water dependency: Need for sustainable water sourcing strategies.
- Infrastructure bottlenecks, especially in remote and arid regions.
- Data transparency and dynamic target updating remain gaps.
- Budget underutilisation may reflect delays in procurement, execution, or reporting
