In the past 22 months, 8.4 million households in rural areas have got tap water connections. In the same period, tap water supply has increased four-fold from 7 per cent to 31 per cent in 117 aspirational districts. This was announced by the Ministry of Jal Shakti yesterday, June 25.

With concerted efforts made under the Aspirational Districts Programme (ADP), these 117 districts in remote locations with low human development indicators and basic facilities, have experienced faster development. Jal Jeevan Mission has played a key role to make it possible, claimed the ministry.

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In 2019, when the Jal Jeevan Mission, a scheme under the Ministry of Jal Shakti that aims to provide safe piped drinking water to every rural household in the country by 2024, was announced, only seven per cent or 2.458 million households in aspirational districts had tap water supply. 

In 22 months, tap water connections have been provided to 8.4 million rural households. This means over 31.37 per cent of households have assured tap water supply. This is a 24 per cent increase in coverage in aspirational districts.

All three aspirational districts of Telangana have been provided with tap water connections. It is expected that all households in villages of aspirational districts in Bihar in 2021, and in Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Manipur, Meghalaya, Punjab and Sikkim in 2022 will get tap water connections.

Union Minister Jal Shakti Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has urged states and Union Territories to provide tap water connection in the next few months to all rural households of Aspirational Districts, SC/ ST majority villages and quality-affected areas.

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