Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, more than 3.4 million rural households in Jharkhand have been provided tap water connections. Yet, nearly 2.8 million households across the state remain outside the coverage net, raising concerns over the pace of implementation.

As per official data, the state has sanctioned 97,535 water supply schemes since the launch of the mission. Of these, 56,332 have been completed, and 24,781 have already been handed over to village-level committees. The remaining are in various stages of execution. Among Jharkhand’s 29,398 villages, only 6,963 have been fully covered under the scheme so far.

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To take stock of the situation, Chief Secretary Alka Tiwari held a virtual review meeting on Wednesday with all Deputy Commissioners. She called for district-level leadership and accountability, urging field officers to identify delays, coordinate with technical teams, and resolve problems in real time.

The Chief Secretary emphasised that the state is committed to the mission’s objective of achieving universal household tap water coverage by December 2028, but acknowledged that the current pace remains inadequate. She instructed Deputy Commissioners to regularly inspect field works and convene meetings with local gram pradhans to obtain direct feedback on ground realities.

To strengthen monitoring, each district will be assigned two dedicated engineers who will work under the supervision of the Deputy Commissioners. These engineers will constitute a technical cell, be given daily tasks, and submit reports to the district administration.

Tiwari expressed concern over reports of incomplete projects receiving full payments and said such cases must be investigated thoroughly. “Any instance of premature payments must be treated seriously and followed by appropriate action,” she said.

She also reminded officers that implementing agencies are contractually bound to maintain the completed schemes for five years. Any delay in minor repairs and upkeep, she said, is unacceptable. Proposals for action against non-compliant agencies should be submitted to the state headquarters for timely redressal.

Noting the administrative hurdles in the process, the Chief Secretary called on Deputy Commissioners to resolve bottlenecks at their level with urgency. Completed schemes must be handed over to village committees without delay to ensure continuity of service delivery.

Launched on 15 August 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide functional household tap connections to every rural home, school, and Anganwadi centre. In Jharkhand, the mission’s reach continues to expand—but large gaps remain.

“The mission is more than a water supply project,” Tiwari said in closing. “It is a transformative effort tied to health, dignity, and rural development—and must be treated with that seriousness.”