Kerala among states with lowest tap water coverage in rural households: Official data

New Delhi: All states and Union Territories have now achieved over 50% coverage of tap water connections in rural households, according to official data. However, Kerala is among the states with the least coverage.

The states with the lowest coverage are West Bengal at 52.30%, Rajasthan at 52.91%, Kerala at 53.62%, Jharkhand at 54.26%, and Madhya Pradesh at 64.84%.

Under the Har Ghar Jal scheme, which aims to provide tap water connections to all rural households by the end of the year, significant progress has been made. Currently, 11 states and UTs have achieved 100% coverage. These include Goa, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, Haryana, Telangana, Puducherry, Gujarat, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, and Mizoram.

Out of a total of 19.33 crore rural households, 16.09 crore have been provided with tap water connections so far. The Har Ghar Jal scheme, initiated by the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti under the Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019, aims to deliver 55 liters of tap water per capita per day to every rural household by 2024.

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. PTI