Jal Jeevan Mission Spending Plummets, State Progress Stalls

• Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) spending has slowed significantly, with the Centre's FY25 revised estimate cut to Rs 29,000 crore from an initial Rs 70,163 crore.
• States hold large unspent balances, and central fund releases have been minimal this year, contrasting with previous years' spending surges.
• Nine states lag the national rural tap water coverage of 81.4%, with Kerala, Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Rajasthan showing the lowest utilization rates and slow progress.
• Despite household coverage, piped water access in schools and anganwadi centres remains low in some states, like West Bengal and Rajasthan.
• The Jal Jeevan Mission has been extended to 2028 with an enhanced outlay to address remaining physical and financial gaps.

Why It Matters: Jal Jeevan Mission's slowdown jeopardizes rural tap water access.