🚰 Jal Jeevan Mission: Delay Explained by Infrastructure Gaps and Additional Demand
– Suryavanshi IAS Current Affairs Insight (GS
II & III)
📌 Context
At a press briefing on June 26, 2025, Union
Minister for Water Resources, C.R. Patil acknowledged the delay in the
Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) — India’s flagship rural drinking water programme.
The revised target for 100% household coverage has now been extended to 2028,
citing infrastructure challenges and a jump in the number of households
requiring service.
🚱 What is
the Jal Jeevan Mission?
Launched in August 2019, the mission
aims to provide:
🧾 Key Data
Points (Prelims-Focused)
|
Parameter |
Value |
|
Original Target Year |
2024 |
|
Revised Target |
2028 |
|
Total Rural Households Targeted (2019) |
19.3 crore |
|
Households with Tap Water by March 2024 |
~15.6 crore (≈ 80%) |
|
Additional Demand (2024–25 onwards) |
~4 crore more households |
|
Total Expenditure since 2019 |
₹3.6 lakh crore |
|
Budget Provision (2024–25) |
₹70,000 crore |
|
Actual Expenditure (till Feb 2025) |
₹22,694 crore |
🔍 Analysis:
Why the Delay?
✅ 1. Increased
Beneficiaries
- As per new data, 4 crore more rural households were
identified post-2024.
- Dynamic population tracking led to reassessment of need,
increasing the scope.
✅ 2. Groundwater
Limitations
- In several areas, groundwater was found insufficient or unsafe,
necessitating a shift to surface water sources.
- This shift demands more complex and costly infrastructure:
reservoirs, treatment plants, long pipelines.
✅ 3. Execution
Challenges
- Contractor errors, poor
implementation in some states.
- Coordination between Centre and States still faces operational bottlenecks.
✅ 4. Budget
Underutilisation
- Despite allocations, only a fraction of funds were utilised
in 2024–25.
- Causes include project delays, procurement lag, and bureaucratic
hurdles.
🧠 UPSC
Relevance
📘 GS Paper
II – Governance & Social Justice
- Role of Centre–State coordination in welfare scheme implementation.
- Rights-based access to water: SDG 6 – Clean Water and Sanitation.
📘 GS Paper
III – Infrastructure & Economy
- Investment in rural water infrastructure.
- Need for data-based planning and local water governance (e.g.,
village-level committees).
📘 GS Paper
IV – Ethics in Public Administration
- Accountability in public fund usage.
- Ethical obligation to deliver promises in essential services.
❓ UPSC Mains
Questions (Practice)
1. Despite
political will and adequate funding, many flagship schemes in India face delays
in implementation. Discuss with reference to the Jal Jeevan Mission. (GS
II)
2. Groundwater
is a stressed resource in India. Examine the implications of relying on surface
water for rural drinking water supply. (GS III)
3. Highlight
the governance challenges in achieving universal access to basic services in
rural India. (GS II)
📘 Prelims
Practice Questions
Q1. What is
the prescribed quantity of water supply per person per day under the Jal Jeevan
Mission?
✅ Answer: D. 55 lpcd
Q2. Jal Jeevan
Mission mandates water quality to conform to which of the following Indian
standards?
✅ Answer: B. BIS:10500
🧭
Suryavanshi IAS Faculty Insights
This update on Jal Jeevan Mission is a
critical example of how ambitious development goals interact with ground
realities. UPSC aspirants must observe:
- The importance of real-time data in governance.
- Challenges in scaling up infrastructure in rural India.
- The need for public accountability and inter-agency coordination.
📌 Tip for Aspirants: Follow PIB, Jal Shakti Ministry,
and rural dashboard updates for real-time data on flagship schemes.
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