BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM
Six years ago, fewer than one in six rural homes in India had a tap water connection. As of mid-July, more than four in five do, and the difference adds up to 124 million additional households.
Minister V. Somanna confirmed the numbers in a written reply to India’s Rajya Sabha: 156.7 million of the country’s 193.6 million rural households now have tap water as of July 16. When the Jal Jeevan Mission launched in August 2019 (its full name, “Har Ghar Jal,” means water for every home), only 32.3 million rural households, about 16.7 percent, had it. It has run as a partnership between the central government and the states.
How the mission scaled
Getting there required regular government reviews with states, field teams sent to slower-moving regions, and money. When costs rose during the COVID-19 pandemic and the supply disruptions that followed, the guidelines were revised in June 2022 to make more central funding available.
What the assessments found
Connection numbers only go so far. A 2022 independent assessment found 86 percent of connected households had working taps, and of those, 85 percent were getting adequate water, 80 percent on a regular schedule, and 87 percent at quality standards. The pipes are working. The 2024 assessment is underway. Data by district and village is publicly available.
Did this solution stand out? Share it with a friend or support our mission by becoming an Emissary.
