Srinagar, Jul 23 (KNO): The Union Government on Thursday informed Parliament that more than 66.71 per cent of rural households in Jammu district have been provided tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), with over 0.77 lakh new connections added since the launch of the scheme in August 2019.
Replying to an unstarred question in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Jal Shakti V. Somanna, as reported by the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that at the launch of JJM in August 2019, only 0.49 lakh (25.79 per cent) of the 1.89 lakh rural households in Jammu district had tap water connections. As on July 15, 2026, more than 1.26 lakh households have tap water supply at home, taking the coverage to 66.71 per cent.
He said drinking water is a State subject and the responsibility for planning, implementation and maintenance of water supply schemes rests with the State/UT Governments, while the Centre provides financial and technical support.
The Centre further informed the House that under AMRUT 2.0, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has taken up 16 projects worth Rs 137.88 crore, including operation and maintenance costs, in the sectors of water supply and water body rejuvenation across the districts of Jammu, Rajouri, Reasi and Samba. The mission focuses on making cities water secure through improved water supply, sewerage and septage management, rejuvenation of water bodies and development of green spaces.
The ministry also said that under the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY-AIBP), three irrigation projects in J&K—Rajpora Lift Irrigation Project, Tral Lift Irrigation Project and Restoration and Modernisation of Main Ravi Canal—have been completed. These projects have created an additional irrigation potential of 6.52 thousand hectares and developed a command area of 2.28 thousand hectares since 2016.
The government clarified that the Atal Bhujal Yojana was a pilot scheme and was not implemented in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The Centre said that under JJM, difficult terrain areas, including drought-prone and water-scarce regions, are given priority in fund allocation. It added that provisions have been made for bulk water transfer, regional water supply schemes, rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and rejuvenation of water bodies in convergence with other schemes.
The Union Cabinet has also approved the extension of Jal Jeevan Mission up to December 2028 under JJM 2.0, with a restructured implementation framework for rural drinking water supply—(KNO)