New Delhi: Rural tap water coverage in the country has risen from 3.23 crore households in August 2019 to 15.84 crore households by May 2026, covering 81.87 per cent of the country’s 19.35 crore rural households, according to a government document released on Monday. The document, issued as part of the BJP-led central government marking 12 years in office, said the increase was achieved under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), launched in 2019 to provide potable water through functional household tap connections to every rural household.
According to the document, budgetary allocations for the mission increased by 488 per cent between 2020-21 and 2026-27 to Rs 67,670 crore.
The government said that 2.77 lakh villages have achieved 100 per cent tap water coverage under the Har Ghar Jal campaign.
Household tap water coverage in aspirational districts increased from 23.62 lakh in August 2019 to 2.20 crore by May 2026, while 1.11 crore households in aspirational blocks had tap water connections by the same date.
The number of schools with tap water connectivity increased from 29,711 in August 2019 to 9.23 lakh by May 2026, while coverage in anganwadi centres, it went up from 15,464 to 9.66 lakh during the period.
Tap water connectivity in gram panchayats and community health centres reached 3.93 lakh institutions, covering 77.27 per cent of such facilities, the document said.
According to the document, improved access to clean drinking water has reduced waterborne diseases, strengthened sanitation and supported better educational outcomes, particularly for children and adolescent girls.
The document also highlighted the progress of the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen), launched in October 2014 to address inadequate sanitation facilities in rural India, where around 550 million people lacked access to such facilities at the time.
According to the government, budgetary allocations for the mission increased by 83 per cent from Rs 3,929 crore in 2014-15 to Rs 7,192 crore in 2026-27.
Over 12.11 crore individual household toilets have been constructed under the programme so far. During Phase I of the mission, sanitation coverage increased from 39 per cent in 2014 to 100 per cent in 2019, following which India was declared Open Defecation Free (ODF).
As of March 2026, over 5 lakh villages have attained ODF Plus (Model) status.
According to the document, ODF Plus includes comprehensive village cleanliness through solid and liquid waste management systems in rural India.
The document said solid waste management systems are active in 5.31 lakh villages, while liquid and greywater management systems are operational in 5.50 lakh villages. In addition, 2,415 plastic waste management units have been established across 5,482 blocks.
It said the achievement of the Swachh Bharat Mission has been associated with a significant decline in morbidity and mortality.
The government also highlighted the progress of the GOBARdhan initiative, which transitioned from 14 operational biogas plants in FY 2018-19 to over 1,213 by May 2026.
According to the document, the integration of waste management infrastructure and bio-energy production under the initiative reflects a transition towards a circular economy in rural India.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: deccanchronicle.com
