In rural areas, women travelling long distances with pots on their heads to fetch water is a common sight. The work is strenuous and extremely time-consuming, Women endure challenges to get access to basic necessities like water and travel to rivers, ponds, and wells with heavy pots on their heads. The government is making efforts to put an end to this plight. 

Har Ghar Jal mission

The Modi Government launched the ‘Jal Jeevan Mission: Har Ghar Jal’ on 15 August 2019. The mission was introduced with a purpose to ensure access to clean and sufficient drinking water for rural households nationwide. Remarkably, the project achieved a significant feat on 7 March 2024, with tap water reaching 75 percent of households across the country.

Jal Jeevan Mission facilitates the water supply to rural households. Before 2019, only 3 crore 23 lakh rural homes had access to clean tap water. However, after the launch of the initiative, this number has surged to 14 crore 50 lakh rural homes. 

Achievements

Key achievements of the mission:
•    Tap water reaching 14.50 crore (75.15 percent) rural households across the country. 
•    185 districts, 1812 blocks, 1,44,000 gram panchayats, and 209, 481 villages have been recognized as ‘Har Ghar Jal’ areas.
•    Districts affected by Japanese Encephalitis (JE) and Acute Encephalitis Syndrome (AES) under the mission are given priority. Tap water connections are being provided to over 2.23 crore households in these areas.

100 percent coverage

All rural households in 11 states and union territories, including Goa, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, and Daman Diu, Haryana, Telangana, Pondicherry, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Mizoram, and Arunachal Pradesh, are receiving 100 percent coverage. 

According to reports, by 14 March 2024, tap water was provided to 930,460 schools and 965,960 Anganwadi centres nationwide.