Jal Jeevan Mission hits roadblock in Kerala; Tenders, funding delays stall drinking water project

Thiruvananthapuram: The Jal Jeevan Mission (J.J.M.) project, aimed at providing drinking water to all rural households in Kerala, is currently stalled. The costs are being shared equally between the central and state governments. 

Nearly half of the Rs 17,000 crore project remains incomplete due to delays in the issuance and approval of tenders by the union government.

Work has been halted on Rs 2,900 crore worth of tendered projects due to the union government’s directive barring the calling of new tenders after August 2024. 

The project’s original deadline is set for March 2025, but the state has requested an extension of the tender period until that time. The state is also seeking a further extension of the overall project deadline to December 2026.

To proceed, the central government must either approve a new tender or allow the state to fund the project independently. Despite repeated requests from the state, no favourable decision has been made thus far.

Progress of the project

The total outlay for the J.J.M. project is Rs 47,000 crore, with Rs 24,000 crore worth of work currently ongoing. Approximately Rs 3,500 crore of the project has been completed. 

Districts such as Wayanad, Kasaragod, Kottayam, and Thrissur still have more work left.

An additional 31.77 lakh water connections are yet to be provided. Water distribution has also not yet begun for 7 lakh connections already given.