New Delhi, Mar 30 (PTI) A total of 18,790 complaints have been received under the Centre’s Jal Jeevan Mission aimed at providing potable tap water to every rural household, with the highest numbers reported from Uttar Pradesh, followed by Assam, the government said in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Responding to a question by MP Phulo Devi Netam, Minister of State for Jal Shakti, V Somanna, said the complaints were received from various sources, including media reports, suo motu cognisance, public representatives, citizens, and grievance portals.
In a written reply, Somanna said that of the total 18,790 complaints related to financial irregularities, poor quality of work, non-functional tap connections, and other issues, 16,178 were from Uttar Pradesh, followed by 1,226 from Assam.
The other states reported significantly lower numbers.
Ten out of 34 states and Union territories, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Lakshadweep, Puducherry and Sikkim, did not report a single complaint.
The minister said that drinking water is a state subject and, therefore, the primary responsibility for planning and implementing piped water supply schemes lies with the respective state governments and Union territories.
The Centre, in partnership with the states and UTs, is implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to provide functional tap water connections to every rural household, supplementing their efforts with technical and financial assistance, the minister said.
Providing an update on the mission’s progress, he said that since its launch in August 2019, about 12.59 crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections.
As of March 8, more than 15.82 crore rural households – around 81.72 per cent of the 19.36 crore rural households in the country – had access to tap water.
The minister also highlighted key challenges in implementation, including water scarcity in stressed regions, contamination in groundwater, difficult terrains, scattered habitations, and limited local capacity for operation and maintenance of infrastructure.
To address these issues, measures such as source strengthening and convergence with schemes like the 15th Finance Commission grants to rural local bodies, Panchayati Raj institutions, integrated watershed management programme, state schemes, MP/MLA-LAD funds, district mineral development fund, CSR funds, and community contributions have been envisaged under the JJM, the minister said.
The department of drinking water and sanitation under the ministry has held review meetings with 729 district collectors to prioritise coverage in the vulnerable regions, such as tribal habitations, aspirational districts, and the drought-prone areas, the minister said.
The Union Cabinet has approved the extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission till December 2028, with an enhanced financial outlay to complete pending works, he added. PTI ADI ARI
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