The New Indian Express ·
84% rural TN houses have taps, but supply inadequate
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has provided tap connections to nearly 84% of its rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), but half of the households checked in a CAG audit were not receiving the prescribed minimum of 55 litres of water per person a day.
The performance audit, tabled in the Assembly, found that household coverage increased from 21.76 lakh households, or 17.37%, when the scheme was launched to 1.05 crore households, or 83.94%, in 2024. However, adequate and regular water supply remained a concern.
At the habitation level, none of those test-checked in Nagapattinam received the prescribed 55 litres per capita per day. In Coimbatore, only 8.67% of the habitations examined met the norm, despite the district reporting 100% household tap-connection coverage.
The audit also found that 96% of the connections examined had been provided outside houses, contrary to JJM guidelines.
In Ramanathapuram, eight of 12 works in one block were cancelled before commencement, while four were stopped following objections from residents. Three open wells were also abandoned after the groundwater was found to be saline and unfit for drinking.
Water-quality monitoring was another area of concern. Seven of 43 water samples tested across six districts, including five from Coimbatore and two from Ramanathapuram, failed to meet BIS drinking-water standards.
The audit further found that 55% of the RO plants checked in Ramanathapuram, Villupuram and Salem were non-functional. No baseline survey had been conducted before the preparation of Village Action Plans, while none of the six districts examined had conducted social audits.