The government has provided tap water to over 15.52 crore rural households under the Jal Jeevan Mission, up from 3 crore in 2019, according to Union Jal Shakti Minister C R Patil. Speaking in Lok Sabha, he highlighted that 25 lakh women from 5 lakh villages have been trained to test water quality, and safe drinking water could prevent 1.36 lakh child deaths annually. He also noted that the Centre has quadrupled the budget for drinking water compared to the previous UPA regime. The House approved the Demands for Grants for the Jal Shakti Ministry (2025-26).
However, opposition leaders, including Robert Bruce (Congress) and Anand Bhadauriya (Samajwadi Party), criticized the government for missing the 2024 target and extending the deadline to 2028. They also accused the government of neglecting other rivers while focusing on Ganga cleanup, failing in projects like river linking and Atal Bhujal Yojana, and lacking a flood and drought management plan. Other MPs, including Umeshbhai Patel (Independent) and Raj Kumar Roat (Bharat Adivasi Party), also voiced concerns.