New Delhi: The Jal Shakti Ministry today emphasized how the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal has been making significant progress toward its ambitious objective of delivering clean drinking water to everyone by 2025.
As the World Water Day draws near on 22 March, here it should be noted that the program, which was started in August 2019, is a joint effort by the central and state governments to guarantee a long-term supply of drinkable tap water in the prescribed quantity and quality.
Increasing Access to Tap Water
According to the data shared by the Jal Shakti ministry, about 3.23 crore (16.71 per cent) rural households had access to tap water connections at the beginning of the Jal Jeevan Mission in August 2019.
Currently, out of 19.36 crore rural households, about 15.53 crore (80.20 per cent) now have access to tap water at home. Eight states–Goa, Telangana, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram–along with three union territories, Puducherry, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, have achieved 100 per cent household tap water coverage.
The ministry said that the adoption of BIS:10500 standards to guarantee water quality and the provision of financial and technical support to state governments by the centre have both contributed to this expansion.
Keeping an Eye on River Pollution
While guaranteeing access to safe drinking water, the government is simultaneously tackling serious water pollution problems, especially in the Ganga and Yamuna rivers.
According to the ministry, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), in collaboration with State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs), has established the National Water Quality Monitoring Network (NWMP), which includes 4,736 monitoring locations across 28 states and 7 union territories.
Out of these, 2,155 locations are on rivers. Water quality in the Ganga is assessed at 112 locations on a bi-monthly basis, while the Yamuna is monitored at 33 locations every month.
The extent of Pollution in Ganga and Yamuna
Pollution remains a significant concern in these major rivers of northern India.
When Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) levels are higher than 3 mg/L, CPCB determines which river segments are polluted. By 2022, the number of polluted river stretches had somewhat decreased to 311 from 351 in 2018.
In Uttar Pradesh, the Farrukabad to Allahabad and Mirzapur to Ghazipur sections of the Ganga are particularly polluted, with BOD levels as high as 6.0 mg/L.
In Bihar, pollution hotspots have been identified along Buxar, Patna, Fatwah, and Bhagalpur, where BOD levels rise to 7.9 mg/L.
It was also stated that West Bengal records a BOD value of 8.0 mg/L between Behrampur and Haldia.
The Yamuna is even more severely polluted, with a BOD level of 83.0 mg/L from Palla to Okhla in Delhi, 43.0 mg/L between Hathnikund to Palla and Palwal to Hasanpur in Haryana and the worst case observed in Uttar Pradesh, where BOD levels soar to 127 mg/L from Asgarpur and Noida to Vrindavan and Hamirpur.
Government Measures
Several actions have been taken to address this pollution. Launched in 2014–15, the Namami Gange Programme encompasses riverfront development, afforestation, solid waste management, wastewater treatment, and biodiversity conservation.
According to the data, 307 of the 492 projects totalling Rs 40,121.48 crore had been completed by January 2025.
Additionally, 127 sewage treatment plants (STPs) with a capacity of 3,446 MLD are operational out of a total of 206 projects worth Rs 33,004 crore.
Industrial pollution control measures include the commissioning of three Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in Jajmau (20 MLD), Banther (4.5 MLD) and Mathura (6.25 MLD), with the latter two completed.
The government has also established an Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring System to track industrial compliance in real time.
Other efforts include the monitoring of 716 drains flowing into the Ganga and its tributaries and the regular inspection of 147 sewage treatment plants in Ganga basin towns.
Additionally, public engagement initiatives such as the Ganga Task Force and community-led efforts by Ganga Doots, Ganga Praharis and Ganga Mitras have been mobilized to raise awareness and promote conservation efforts.
The ministry’s data highlighted that India has made significant strides toward supplying clean drinking water through the Jal Jeevan Mission, with tap water coverage rising from 16.71 per cent in 2019 to 80.20 per cent in 2025.
But river pollution is still a major issue, though, especially in the Yamuna, where BOD levels can occasionally reach 127 mg/L.
To address this issue, government initiatives under Namami Gange and pollution monitoring programs are essential. Even though there have been improvements, ongoing efforts are required to restore the major rivers in India and guarantee that everyone has access to clean water.
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