Ensuring Data Integrity in India's Jal Jeevan Mission: A Call for Rigorous Verification

A parliamentary standing committee has raised alarms regarding the reliability of data inputted into the Jal Jeevan Mission's Integrated Management Information System (IMIS). The committee strongly advises the Centre to implement verification checks for the figures uploaded by states to ensure data integrity.

The report pointed out that, without accurate information, evaluating rural water supply realities and addressing gaps becomes challenging. The Standing Committee on Water Resources underscored the necessity of authentic data for assessing the situation on the ground and recommended sincere efforts by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation to uphold data authenticity.

Concerns also center around the slow Har Ghar Jal coverage, with only 11 states and Union Territories achieving full household tap water connections since 2019. The government has extended the goal for total tap water coverage to 2028, highlighting continuing challenges in ensuring water quality across rural areas.

(With inputs from agencies.)