Key Details
The performance audit finds that while Maharashtra has significantly expanded investment under the Jal Jeevan Mission, weaknesses in planning, financial management, water-quality assurance and community participation have constrained progress towards sustainable rural drinking water coverage
Key Area | Main Detail | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
Programme Delivery | Expenditure increased to ₹26,410.51 crore, while only 12,703 of 51,560 water supply schemes were completed. | Indicates substantial cost escalation without proportionate implementation progress. |
Household Coverage | 125.01 lakh rural households were reported to have Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs), including 27.74 lakh pre-existing private connections. | Suggests reported coverage may overstate progress directly attributable to JJM. |
Village Certification | Only 10,677 villages (26.5%) achieved Har Ghar Jal certification. | Reflects slower progress towards universal and verified service delivery. |
Financial Management | Delayed Utilisation Certificates, audited accounts and cost revisions increased project costs by ₹9,608.87 crore and reduced central fund releases. | Highlights weaknesses in financial planning, project management and expenditure control. |
Water Quality Systems | Maharashtra has not established a State Water Testing Laboratory, and none of the 143 sub-divisional laboratories have obtained NABL accreditation. | Raises concerns over water-quality monitoring, testing capacity and regulatory assurance. |
Community Ownership | Community contributions totalled only ₹21.72 crore against a target of ₹2,043.79 crore. | Weakens local ownership and the long-term operation and maintenance of rural water systems. |
Planning Weaknesses Limited Programme Delivery
The CAG found that foundational planning requirements under the Jal Jeevan Mission were frequently bypassed. None of the audited districts conducted mandatory baseline surveys before implementation, while Village Action Plans often omitted population projections, source sustainability assessments and wastewater management strategies. A comprehensive State Action Plan was not prepared, and District Action Plans lacked timelines, financial mapping and implementation requirements.
In addition, a number of water supply schemes were sanctioned without assured long-term water sources or adequate treatment facilities, contributing to implementation delays and, in some cases, the supply of untreated drinking water..
Rising Expenditure Did Not Translate into Comparable Progress
Since the launch of JJM, expenditure in Maharashtra increased to ₹26,410.51 crore, nearly double the original estimate of ₹13,668.50 crore. Despite this, only about one-fourth of the state’s planned water supply schemes had been completed by March 2024.
The audit found that 13,835 schemes underwent cost revisions, adding ₹9,608.87 crore to project costs, largely because of changes in water sources, delayed execution and inadequate project preparation. Maharashtra also received only 46.3% of its eligible central assistance owing to delays in submitting Utilisation Certificates and audited accounts. In addition, the CAG identified delayed transfer of ₹220 crore in accumulated interest to the Consolidated Fund and ₹7.62 crore spent outside JJM guidelines.
The findings suggest that increasing expenditure alone cannot accelerate programme outcomes when project preparation, financial management and execution remain weak.
Long-Term Sustainability Extends Beyond Infrastructure Creation
The report emphasises that achieving universal rural water access requires more than constructing infrastructure.
Field verification identified inconsistencies between official dashboards and actual implementation, with some villages declared Har Ghar Jal despite incomplete household coverage. The report also notes that Maharashtra has yet to establish a State Water Testing Laboratory, none of its 143 sub-divisional laboratories have secured NABL accreditation, and technologies such as IoT-based monitoring and SCADA systems remain only partially implemented.
Community participation also remained limited. Against a target of ₹2,043.79 crore, community contributions amounted to only ₹21.72 crore, while no comprehensive operation and maintenance policy had been established to sustain completed schemes over the long term.
The report therefore argues that institutional capacity, reliable monitoring systems and stronger community ownership are essential if infrastructure investments are to translate into durable and reliable drinking water services.
What is the Jal Jeevan Mission?
Launched in 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission seeks to provide every rural household with a Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) supplying adequate, safe and regular drinking water while promoting source sustainability, water-quality monitoring and community-led operation and maintenance.
Policy Relevance
The audit reinforces that universal household tap connections depend as much on planning, source sustainability and institutional capacity as on infrastructure investment.
The findings illustrate how weak project preparation can contribute to cost escalation, implementation delays and lower service outcomes despite increased public expenditure.
Reliable rural drinking water programmes require stronger financial management, timely utilisation reporting and expenditure reconciliation to prevent implementation bottlenecks and improve fund utilisation.
Water-quality assurance needs greater institutional attention through accredited laboratories, regular testing and wider adoption of digital monitoring technologies to strengthen public confidence in drinking water services.
The limited mobilisation of community contributions highlights the importance of local ownership and operation-and-maintenance systems in ensuring that rural water infrastructure remains functional after project completion.
The report demonstrates the value of independent performance audits in evaluating public programmes beyond expenditure and connection numbers, placing greater emphasis on governance, service quality and long-term sustainability.
Follow the Full Report Here: Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India Performance Report on Jal Jeevan Mission for the period ended March 2024