More than 2 lakh villages across the country have now been declared ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the Ministry of Jal Shakti has said. The mission, launched on 15 August 2019, aims to provide safe and adequate drinking water through household tap connections in rural India.
According to the latest government update, the number of rural households with tap-water connections has increased from 3.23 crore at the time of the mission’s launch to 15.91 crore at present. This represents an increase from 16.7 percent to around 82.24 percent of rural households. More than 12.68 crore additional rural households have been provided with tap-water connections under the programme.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, a village is considered ‘Har Ghar Jal’ when all rural households have access to tap-water supply. The certification process also involves the Gram Sabha, which formally certifies the village after completion of the required work and verification.
The government has said that the initiative is aimed not only at expanding access to drinking water but also at ensuring regular and long-term water supply. The mission also focuses on community participation, water conservation, source sustainability and proper management of village-level water infrastructure.
The latest progress marks a significant expansion of rural drinking-water coverage since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019.
