Government slashes funding for rural water supply scheme by 60%

India Jan 13, 2026

The government has sharply cut this year's budget for the Jal Jeevan Mission—from ₹67,000 crore down to ₹17,000 crore.
JJM was started in 2019 to bring tap water to every rural home by 2024, but so far only about 81% of households are covered.
The deadline is now pushed to 2028.

Why does it matter?

With less money and a slower pace of new connections, there's real worry about whether every village will get clean water soon.
Previous funding cuts and reports of irregularities have already led to disciplinary action against hundreds of officials and contractors.
Now, the focus is shifting toward maintaining what's already built and making sure future connections actually happen—though progress depends a lot on how quickly states act from here.