60 mn rural households got tap water since Jal Jeevan Mission launch: Govt

An additional six crore rural households have got tap water connections since the launch of Jal Jeevan Mission, Minister of State for Jal Shakti Prahlad Patel said on Tuesday.

Patel said water conservation is a priority for the government to ensure that the future generation does not suffer.

"The government is taking all steps to ensure conservation of water for our children. We are also ensuring improvement of access to tap water connection for all.

"An additional six crore rural households have got tap water connections since the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission," he said at an event organised on the occasion of the World Water Day.

The Jal Jeevan mission was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August, 2019.

A total of 9,24,88,379 rural households have been provided with tap water connection till now.

Patel also stressed on the importance of ground water conservation and how it is the need of the hour.

NMCG Director General Asok Kumar said India is the largest exploiter of groundwater.

He said, "We are exploiting 250 billion litres of groundwater stored by our forefathers. If we keep on with this exploitation, then the water table will keep going down, and in 25 years, we will have scarcity of drinking water," he said.