All states, UTs achieve over 50% tap water coverage in rural households: Official data

All states and Union territories have more than 50 per cent coverage of tap water connections in rural households, according to official data. Under the Har Ghar Jal scheme, all rural households will be provided with tap water connections by the year-end.

As of now, all states and Union territories (UTs) have more than 50 per cent coverage of tap water connections in rural households with 11 states and UTs having 100 per cent coverage.

The states and UTs with 100 per cent coverage of tap water connections in rural households are Goa; Andaman & Nicobar Islands; Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu; Haryana; Telangana; Puducherry; Gujarat; Punjab; Himachal Pradesh; Arunachal Pradesh; and Mizoram.

The least coverage has been recorded in West Bengal at 52.30 per cent, Rajasthan at 52.91 per cent, Kerala at 53.62 per cent, Jharkhand at 54.26 per cent, and Madhya Pradesh at 64.84 per cent, according to the data.

Out of a total of 19,33,38,234 (19.33 crore) rural households, 16,09,75,396 (16.09 crore) have been provided with tap water connections so far.

The Har Ghar Jal scheme was initiated by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti under the Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019 with the aim to provide 55 litres of tap water to every rural household per capita per day by 2024.

According to an official, beyond the numbers, the mission's impact was visible in flood-prone areas such as Assam, where climate-adaptive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) structures were in place to ensure access to clean water even during natural disasters.

"The programme in Assam, for example, is seen as a lifeline for communities regularly affected by monsoon floods," the official said.

A Har Ghar Jal certification initiative has been introduced to promote community involvement, encouraging gram sabhas to verify tap water coverage and ensure service levels were maintained.

This has already been adopted in states such as Goa, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram, the official said.