Central Idea

The Har Ghar Jal initiative, part of the Jal Jeevan Mission, aims to provide potable water connections to all rural households in India by 2024.
However, multiple sources and data analysis indicate that the initiative is likely to fall short of its target, with only 75% of village homes expected to have drinking water taps by April 2024.

Har Ghar Jal Initiative: A quick recap

Har Ghar Jal (translation: Water to Every Household) is a scheme initiated by the Ministry of Jal Shakti under Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019.
It aimed to provide tap water to every rural household by 2024.
Finance Minister announced the scheme in 2019 Union budget.
In August 2022, Goa and Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu became the first ‘Har Ghar Jal’ certified State and UT respectively with 100% tap-water access.
As of January 2023, other states and UTs Gujarat, Puducherry and Telangana have also achieved 100% tap-water access.
Since its inception, the scheme has significantly improved household clean tap water availability in India.

Delayed Progress: The COVID-19 pandemic and a lack of qualified manpower in states have contributed to the delayed implementation of the scheme.
Shortages of Essential Materials: The ongoing Russia-Ukraine war resulted in major shortages of steel and cement, crucial for manufacturing and connecting metal pipes, leading to delays and price revisions.
Manpower Shortage: Some states faced challenges in finding skilled workers to construct tanks, cisterns, and water connections of acceptable quality.
State-Specific Issues: Certain states, such as Rajasthan, face challenges in ensuring the availability of water, while West Bengal and Kerala struggle with water contamination issues.
Certification Gap: While the states report high coverage figures, there is a significant gap between reported and verified connections.

Revised Expectations: The officials now expect about 75% of households to be covered by March 2024 and 80% by December 2024.
Work Yet to Begin: Around one crore households (5% of the total) have not even begun work under the scheme.
Timeframe Challenges: Connecting all households in villages that already have access to water sources takes an average of eight months, making it unlikely to finish in some places before 2025-26.

Political Angle: Some states, like Bihar and Telangana, did not rely on central funds and did not certify their connection status due to political considerations.
Significance of Certification: “Har Ghar Jal” villages certified as 100% compliant prominently display the images of the Prime Minister and Chief Minister, especially if Central funds were used.