Why the government just extended its rural tap water mission
India
The government just extended the Jal Jeevan Mission until 2028, shifting gears from simply building new water connections to making sure existing ones actually work well for people.
Since its launch in 2019, the mission's big goal has been to bring tap water to every rural home across India.
Progress so far and extension's significance
Back in 2019, only about 17% of rural homes had tap water. Now, nearly 81% (that is over 15 crore households) have it.
The push is not just about convenience: it saves women millions of hours every day and could prevent thousands of child deaths each year by reducing diseases linked to unsafe water.
The extension means the last stretch, especially tough areas like drought zones and places with bad groundwater, will not be left behind.