Srinagar, Mar 17: The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has made significant progress in providing tap water to rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission, with 81.06% coverage achieved so far.
The figure surpasses the national average of 79.91%, as per data presented in the Lok Sabha.
According to Minister of State for Jal Shakti, V. Somanna, Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a major improvement in tap water accessibility since the launch of JJM in August 2019.
In response to a question by Baramulla MP Sheikh Rashid, he said that an additional 9.84 lakh rural households have been connected to safe drinking water over the past few years.
Out of the total 19.23 lakh rural households in J&K, around 15.59 lakh now have func-tional tap water connections.
Among the best-performing districts, Ganderbal and Srinagar have achieved 100% tap water coverage, ensuring every rural household in these areas has access to drinking water. Anantnag (92.91%), Shopian (92.27%), Reasi (90.72%), and Budgam (89.43%) have also recorded strong progress.
However, some districts continue to lag despite the UT receiving ₹6,044.66 crore in funding since 2021-22. Jammu district, which has the highest number of rural house-holds at 1.88 lakh, has only reached 66.4% coverage. Similarly, Rajouri (65.98%) and Samba (67.37%) are still behind in achieving full access to tap water.
Meanwhile, special attention has been given to the aspirational districts of Baramulla and Kupwara. Baramulla now has 88.86% tap water coverage, while Kupwara has reached 83.02%, both surpassing the UT’s overall average.
