- Over 32 lakh rural households now receive tap water under Jal Jeevan Mission; state moves steadily towards ‘Har Ghar Jal’ goal
TFP Bureau, Raipur, January 16, 2026: Chhattisgarh has witnessed a landmark transformation in its rural drinking water infrastructure, with tap water supply reaching more than 32 lakh households under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Deputy Chief Minister Shri Arun Sao said the state government is firmly committed to ensuring safe, clean and sustainable drinking water for every rural family, while addressing a press conference at the Samvad Auditorium in Nava Raipur Atal Nagar on Friday.
Providing detailed information, Shri Sao said that a total of 40,87,027 household tap connections have been provided across the state so far. He noted that before the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission, Chhattisgarh had only 3,19,741 household tap connections, highlighting the scale and speed of progress achieved in the last two years under the current government.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the government’s clear objective is to make Chhattisgarh a ‘Har Ghar Jal’ state in the near future by ensuring reliable access to potable drinking water in every rural household. He added that the mission has not only expanded infrastructure but has also strengthened community participation and accountability at the grassroots level.
According to official data shared at the press conference, 6,572 villages in the state have achieved 100 per cent household tap connections, while 5,564 villages have already been declared ‘Har Ghar Jal Villages’. Of these, 4,544 villages have received formal certification after verification. Shri Sao pointed out that the number of certified ‘Har Ghar Jal’ villages has increased by nearly 750 per cent over the last two years, reflecting accelerated implementation on the ground.
He further informed that water supply systems have been successfully transferred to 5,088 Gram Panchayats, empowering local bodies to manage and maintain drinking water infrastructure. Prior to the mission, rural areas depended largely on 3,08,287 handpumps, 4,440 piped water supply schemes and 2,132 local water supply schemes. At present, 70 large group water supply schemes are under execution, covering 3,208 villages and enabling the provision of over 9.85 lakh household tap connections.
Emphasising the importance of water quality, Shri Sao said that 77 water testing laboratories are operational across the state, of which 47 are accredited by NABL. To ensure prompt grievance redressal, a toll-free helpline number, 1800-233-0008, has been made fully functional for addressing drinking water-related complaints from rural residents.
The Deputy Chief Minister made it clear that the government maintains zero tolerance towards poor-quality work under the Jal Jeevan Mission. Over the past two years, penalties amounting to more than ₹28.38 crore have been imposed for defective execution. Additionally, 629 contracts have been terminated and 11 firms have been blacklisted. Departmental and legal action has also been initiated against erring officers and contractors to uphold transparency and quality standards.
Outlining the roadmap ahead, Shri Sao said the state government aims to provide the remaining approximately 8 lakh household tap connections, complete over 21,000 incomplete schemes, and transfer more than 24,000 schemes to Gram Panchayats in a time-bound manner. All ongoing group water supply schemes are also targeted for completion within the stipulated timeframe.
On strengthening departmental capacity, the Deputy Chief Minister said that in the last two years, 403 new posts have been created, 213 appointments have been made, 103 employees have been promoted and 877 government employees have been granted the benefit of time-bound pay scales. These measures, he said, will further improve service delivery and ensure the long-term sustainability of rural drinking water systems in Chhattisgarh. Click here to See full video 👇
