 "Jal Shakti ministry eyes tap water connectivity in rural India by 2025")
The Jal Shakti ministry has set its sights on 2025 to achieve the ambitious targets of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) after falling short of the 2024 deadline to provide tap water connections to all rural households.
The ministry also aims to ensure universal Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status for villages while advancing ecological restoration under the Namami Gange Programme.
Over 153.7 mn rural households out of a total of 193.6 mn have been equipped with tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission. However, around four crore households remain uncovered.
Jal Shakti Minister C R Paatil expressed optimism about achieving full coverage, emphasising his ministry's continuous coordination with lagging states and Union territories.
"All the four crore connections are at some level of completion, and though it is a state subject, we have urged all states and Union territories to accelerate their efforts to ensure 100 per cent coverage as soon as possible," Paatil told PTI.
Eleven states and Union territories have already achieved complete rural tap water coverage. However, larger states like Rajasthan, Jharkhand, Kerala, and West Bengal are trailing with less than 60 per cent coverage, according to official data.
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A ministry official said it is focused on bridging these gaps in 2025, ensuring no household is left without access to clean drinking water.
Sanitation remains a parallel priority for the ministry in 2025.
Currently, 95 per cent of villages in India have declared themselves ODF Plus, a status that encompasses not just toilet construction but also solid-liquid waste management and holistic sanitation.
Of the country's 5,86,707 villages, 5,60,897 have achieved this milestone. Uttar Pradesh leads the ODF Plus tally with 93,947 villages, followed by Madhya Pradesh with 50,580 villages and Maharashtra with 37,327 villages.
Notably, over 49,000 villages in Madhya Pradesh have reached the "model" category, showcasing exemplary sanitation standards.
Since the launch of SBM-G in 2014, the construction of over 11.76 crore individual household latrines has significantly improved rural hygiene infrastructure, officials said.
By 2025, the ministry is confident that the remaining villages will achieve ODF Plus status, further solidifying India's sanitation goals, another senior official said.
Under the Namami Gange Programme, the ministry has made remarkable ecological progress. The reintroduction of 1,428 gharials and 1,899 turtles into the Ganga and its tributaries has contributed to improved water quality. Wetland conservation initiatives, including surveys in 27 districts of Uttar Pradesh and management plans for 387 wetlands in Bihar, have further bolstered these efforts.
The ministry has also set a 2025 target to complete afforestation on 1,34,104 hectares of land within the Ganga basin to enhance ecological balance.
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