Overview

• Launched in August 2019 and extended to 2028, the mission has delivered individual household taps to around 15.6 crore rural homes at a cost of ₹3.6 lakh crore
• Budget documents show ₹70,000 crore was provisioned for 2024–25 but only ₹22,694 crore had been spent by February, highlighting underutilisation of almost ₹50,000 crore
• Minister C. R. Patil attributed delays to added demand and infrastructure gaps, including insufficient groundwater sources, prompting a shift to surface water schemes
• Progress varies across states with Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand achieving 90% coverage while Jharkhand still has 2.8 million homes awaiting connections
• To boost accountability each district will now have dedicated engineers under Deputy Commissioners and strict action has been warned against contractors for incomplete projects