5 million tap water connections provided since Jan 1: Jal Shakti Ministry

More than 50 lakh tap water connections have been provided since January 1 and the number has reached to 3.53 crore rural connections since the Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in 2019, the Jal Shakti Ministry said on Wednesday.

"The Jal Jeevan Mission announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15th August, 2019 with the aim to provide tap water connection to every rural household by 2024 has reached a new milestone by providing 3.53 crore rural household tap water connections," the Jal Shakti Ministry said in a statement.

"Over 50 lakh connections have been provided since 1st January, 2021," the statement added.

As on August 15, 2019, out of 18.93 crore rural households, 3.23 crore (17 per cent) had tap water connections.

"The untiring efforts of states/ UTs helped the Jal Jeevan Mission provide 3.53 crore tap water connections," the statement said.

Further, every family living in 52 districts and 77,000 villages is getting assured tap water supply in their homes. Now 6.76 crore households (35.24 per cent), more than one-third of rural households, are getting potable water through taps.

Goa is the first state in the country to provide 100 per cent tap water connection followed by Telangana.

Potable water supply to water quality-affected habitations is a top priority under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

Efforts are made to ensure supply of safe drinking water to all quality-affected villages especially arsenic and fluoride affected rural habitations, the statement added.