India has achieved a significant milestone in its efforts to provide safe and accessible drinking water to its rural population. The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal, a flagship initiative by the central government, has successfully provided over 80% of rural households with access to piped drinking water. This achievement marks substantial progress in improving the lives and health of millions across the nation.

As of July 16, 2025, approximately 156.7 million out of 193.6 million rural households, accounting for 80.93%, now have tap water supply in their homes. This is a significant increase from August 2019, when the JJM was launched, at which time only 16.7% (32.3 million) of rural homes had access to tap water connections. In the past six years, an additional 124.4 crore rural households have been brought under the network.

The Jal Jeevan Mission, operating under the slogan "Har Ghar Jal," is a collaborative effort between the central and state governments. The mission aims to ensure a consistent and safe tap water supply to every rural household in India.

While the government's figures highlight the progress made, the true measure of success lies in the functionality of these connections. An independent assessment in 2022 revealed that 86% of the tap water connections were working. Within that 86%, 85% of households received adequate water, 80% received it regularly as scheduled, and 87% received water that met the prescribed quality standards. A new functionality assessment is underway in 2025 to provide an updated view of the infrastructure's effectiveness.

The Ministry of Jal Shakti is aiming to achieve the targets of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G) by 2025, after missing the 2024 deadline. The Ministry also wants to achieve Open Defecation Free (ODF) Plus status for villages and advance ecological restoration under the Namami Gange Programme.

To ensure the tap connections are working and water is available, the Government is performing regular assessments through independent third-party agencies, review meetings, conferences, workshops and video conferences to monitor the implementation of the Jal Jeevan mission.

In addition to increasing tap water connections, the Jal Shakti Ministry is making ecological progress with the Namami Gange Programme. Initiatives such as the reintroduction of 1,428 gharials and 1,899 turtles into the Ganga and its tributaries have helped improve water quality. Wetland conservation initiatives and afforestation efforts in the Ganga basin are also underway to improve ecological balance.