Srinagar, Mar 22 (KNO): Jammu and Kashmir has made significant progress in expanding rural tap water supply under the ambitious Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), with the coverage now reaching 81.06% of rural households, benefiting over 15.59 lakh homes out of 19.23 lakh.
This marks a dramatic improvement from less than one-third of rural households receiving piped water before the mission began.
The update in this regard was shared by the Minister of State for Jal Shakti, V. Somanna, in response to a question in the Lok Sabha from Member of Parliament Mian Altaf Ahmad.
“Since its inception in August 2019, JJM, a central government initiative, aims to provide tap water to every rural household across the country. In Jammu and Kashmir, the mission has significantly impacted rural areas, especially in the aspirational districts of Baramulla and Kupwara. At the start of the mission, just 41.61% of rural households in these districts had access to tap water. Since then, an additional 1.33 lakh households have been connected to piped water, pushing coverage to 85.71% as of March 2025,” reads the reply as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
The UT of Jammu and Kashmir has received substantial funding for the mission over the past few years, with Rs. 604.18 crore allocated in 2021-22, Rs. 1,439.50 crore in 2022-23, Rs. 3,267.12 crore in 2023-24, and Rs. 633.86 crore in 2024-25.
As of March 2025, over 9.84 lakh rural households have gained access to piped water since the mission began, with 81.06% of the UT's rural households now covered. Srinagar and Ganderbal districts lead with 100% coverage, ensuring that all rural households in these areas now have access to piped water. Anantnag follows with 92.91% coverage, while Shopian reports 92.27% coverage. Other districts such as Reasi (90.72%), Budgam (89.43%), and Baramulla (88.86%) also show strong progress.
However, some districts in the Jammu division still face challenges. Jammu and Samba, with coverage rates of 66.4% and 67.37% respectively, have the lowest tap water penetration. Kathua and Rajouri are also struggling, with coverage rates of 74.64% and 65.98%, respectively.
The government has committed to addressing these gaps in access, with plans for further infrastructure development to ensure equitable access to tap water across the UT.
In addition to the JJM updates, the Minister of Jal Shakti, Raj Bhushan Choudhary, also addressed the progress of the Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY), which includes the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme (AIBP). Three major irrigation projects in Jammu and Kashmir—the Rajpora Lift Project, Restoration & Modernization of Main Ravi Canal, and Tral Lift Irrigation Project—have been completed under this scheme, creating or restoring irrigation potential for 58,300 hectares of land. The continuation of PMKSY, with AIBP as a component, has been approved by the Government of India for the period 2021-2026.
Jammu and Kashmir's efforts in expanding rural water supply and irrigation infrastructure underline the government's commitment to improving basic services for rural communities, ensuring better access to essential resources like water and irrigation—(KNO)