Chennai: Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday announced an extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to 2028 with increased funding. This aims to expand access to tap water connections in rural households, particularly benefiting women in rural areas.
The announcement comes in the wake of a few states, including Tamil Nadu, urging the Centre to extend the programme. State govt sources told TOI that chief minister M K Stalin recently sent a letter urging the Centre to extend the scheme till 2028 to complete the ongoing water supply schemes and achieve 100% coverage.
The JJM, a central-state sponsored programme launched in 2019, came as a blessing for TN, a water-scarce state. The scheme aims to provide a minimum of 55 LPCD through TWAD board schemes and ongoing schemes. When launched, only 17% of the 1.25 crore rural households in TN had tap water connections. Currently, 89 lakh rural households (86% of the target) have connections due to JJM as of Feb 1. Thirteen of TN’s 37 districts (excluding Chennai) have achieved full coverage under the JJM, including Coimbatore, Kancheepuram, Kanyakumari, Namakkal, and Ranipet, benefiting lakhs of rural people. The mission period ended in 2024 and posed fund constraints to the state.
The extended timeline and increased budget will allow the remaining districts to achieve similar coverage. Poor performers of JJM include districts like Ramanathapuram and Nagapattinam that were hit by salinity.
“Since 2019, 15 crore households representing 80% of India’s rural population have been provided access to potable tap water connections. To achieve 100% coverage, I am pleased to announce the extension of the Mission until 2028 with an enhanced total outlay,” Union minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. TN minister K N Nehru led a delegation and met Union ministers for jal shakti and finance recently to hand over the CM’s request letter.
This three-year extension offers a better chance for new schemes, including DMK’s key project, the Hogenakkal combined water supply scheme phase II, to enhance supply to Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts.
A detailed project report estimates the scheme will cost 7,955 crore and provide water to 38 lakh houses. The JJM will cover the rural component of the project.