Shocking: 4,185 Assam Jal Jeevan Mission Schemes Become Non-Functional, Minister Reveals in Assembly

Guwahati, July 7: In a major revelation that has raised serious concerns over rural drinking water infrastructure, the Assam Government informed the State Assembly that 4,185 Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) schemes have become non-functional across the state. The disclosure was made by Public Health Engineering (PHE) Minister Krishnendu Paul during the Question Hour in the Assam Legislative Assembly on Tuesday.

The figures indicate that while thousands of households have been connected under the ambitious Assam Jal Jeevan Mission schemes, a significant number of projects are no longer delivering safe drinking water, creating fresh challenges for the government in achieving universal tap water coverage.

Assam Jal Jeevan Mission Schemes: Current Status

According to the Minister, Assam currently has 27,530 Jal Jeevan Mission schemes under implementation.

The latest status is as follows:

15,400 schemes are functional.
4,185 schemes are non-functional.
7,521 schemes are under construction.
148 schemes have not yet started.
276 schemes are undergoing a three-month trial run before final commissioning.

These figures highlight that although considerable progress has been made, nearly one out of every six JJM projects in Assam is presently non-functional.

Breakdown of Non-Functional Schemes

The Minister informed the House that among the 4,185 non-functional schemes:

2,833 schemes are located in general areas.
1,352 schemes are situated in Sixth Schedule areas.

The government acknowledged that restoring these projects has become a priority to ensure uninterrupted drinking water supply in rural Assam.

Government Approves Funds for Repair Work

To revive the failed projects, the Assam Cabinet has approved the use of funds available under the 15th Finance Commission through the Panchayat and Rural Development Department.

The repair works will be financed through:

Gram Panchayats
Anchalik Panchayats
Zilla Parishads

Funds are being released according to prescribed financial limits, allowing local bodies to carry out repair and restoration work without unnecessary delays.

The decision is expected to improve the functionality of damaged water supply infrastructure across villages.

Progress of Jal Jeevan Mission in Samaguri

The Minister also presented data related to Samaguri Assembly Constituency in Nagaon district.

The constituency has:

80 Jal Jeevan Mission schemes
47 schemes completed and handed over
33 schemes under construction

Among the completed projects:

38 schemes are functional
9 schemes are currently non-functional

The constituency serves as an example of both the progress achieved and the operational challenges facing the mission.

Salary Increased for Jal Mitras

Responding to questions regarding Jal Mitras, the Minister clarified that these workers are appointed voluntarily by Water User Committees and are not employees of the Public Health Engineering Department.

However, recognizing their contribution in maintaining rural water supply systems, the government has increased their monthly honorarium.

The salary has been revised from:

₹6,500 per month
to ₹7,500 per month

This increase of ₹1,000 is expected to encourage better maintenance and operation of village water supply schemes.

Massive Allocation Under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0

For the 2026-27 financial year, the Government of India has allocated ₹7,643.22 crore to Assam under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0.

The Minister stated that:

₹692.24 crore has already been released for single-village schemes.
Payments have been made to eligible contractors.
A proposal for the next installment has already been sent to the Central Government.
The proposal is currently under consideration at the Ministry level.

Once additional funds are received, pending payments to contractors will be released without delay.

Reimbursement System for Multi-Village Schemes

The Minister explained that for multi-village water supply schemes, the State Government is required to initially bear the expenditure.

After completion of eligible work and submission of bills, the Central Government reimburses the expenditure.

Necessary administrative arrangements have already been made by the Chief Engineer of the Public Health Engineering Department to ensure smooth implementation of this reimbursement mechanism.

No Central Funding for Retrofitting Projects

One significant concern highlighted during the Assembly session was the lack of financial support for retrofitting schemes.

According to the Minister:

The Central Government has not provided any financial provision for retrofitting works.
If such projects are undertaken, the Assam Government will have to finance them using its own resources.

This could place additional financial pressure on the state while attempting to improve existing infrastructure.

Overall Progress of JJM Works

The Assembly was informed that:

19,859 Jal Jeevan Mission works have been completed.
7,671 works are still pending completion.

Regarding contractor payments:

Payments have already been made for 26,401 completed works.
979 payments remain pending.

The government assured the House that the remaining payments would be released after receiving approved funds from the Centre.

Water Supply in Schools and Anganwadi Centres

The Jal Jeevan Mission has also significantly expanded drinking water access in educational institutions.

At present:

42,217 schools have been provided tap water connections.
33,988 Anganwadi Centres have received drinking water facilities.

However, work remains incomplete in:

2,313 schools
3,531 Anganwadi Centres

The government has set a target to complete all remaining works by December 2028.

Challenges Ahead

The latest figures reveal that while Assam has made substantial progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission, operational sustainability remains a major challenge.

Several factors may contribute to non-functional schemes, including:

Mechanical failures
Power supply issues
Lack of timely maintenance
Damage to pipelines
Local operational challenges

The government’s decision to use Panchayat funds for repairs and increase the honorarium of Jal Mitras reflects an effort to strengthen maintenance at the grassroots level.

What This Means for Rural Assam

The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to every rural household. Although Assam has successfully implemented thousands of projects, the existence of more than 4,000 non-functional schemes indicates that infrastructure creation alone is not enough.

Regular maintenance, adequate funding, trained manpower, and timely repair mechanisms will be essential to ensure continuous access to safe drinking water.

With fresh funding under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, the state government now faces the challenge of restoring failed schemes while simultaneously completing thousands of ongoing projects.

If the announced repair initiatives and funding mechanisms are implemented effectively, Assam could significantly improve the performance of its rural drinking water network and move closer to achieving universal access to safe tap water in the coming years.