Ranchi: Up to 40% of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) beneficiaries in Jharkhand have reported dissatisfaction over various aspects of the project, according to a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report tabled in the state Assembly two days ago. The performance audit, which reviewed the implementation of the piped water initiative between 2019–20 and 2023–24, pointed to water supply gaps, infrastructural shortfalls and testing limitations across the state.Launched in Aug 2019 with the aim of providing piped water to every rural household by 2024, the scheme has experienced delays in Jharkhand. With scheme coverage reaching only 28% (27,249 out of 97,535) by Dec 2024, the timeline for the project has been extended to Dec 2028.The report noted that although JJM guidelines require Gram Panchayats to conduct regular social audits to evaluate beneficiary satisfaction and address operational issues, no such audits were conducted during the 2019–24 period.A sample audit conducted by the CAG revealed several ground-level challenges. 40% of beneficiaries cited a lack of daily water supply, 38% stated they did not receive a sufficient quantity of water, and 24% reported receiving no water from their tap connections. Furthermore, 19% reported receiving unclean water, while 23% said that tap connections were not installed at the prescribed delivery points or near their premises.The audit also identified uneven distribution in Single Village Schemes (SVS). Half of the sampled schemes supplied 37% of the minimum prescribed water quantity, while the remaining half supplied excess water. Additionally, data mismatches were observed between official records and the scheme’s portal. While the Local Government Directory lists 32,737 villages in Jharkhand, only 29,398 appeared on the JJM portal, leaving 3,339 villages outside the current coverage framework.Quality control measures were another area of focus in the report. As of Sept 2024, Jharkhand had 31 water quality testing laboratories—comprising one state, 24 district and six sub-divisional units. However, the sample-surveyed district laboratories lacked National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation for testing the 13 basic water parameters mandated under JJM. These facilities operated with eight to 16 types of equipment against the recommended 35 and faced shortages of essential testing chemicals, limiting their capacity to perform certain required tests.
