Har Ghar Jal in Delhi-NCR? Not really

While government figures claim increasing coverage of tap water connections in urban areas, ground realities are different

These people on a Noida kerbside are trying to extract precious drinking water from a broken pipeline.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

Published on:

15 Sep 2026, 10:36 am

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These persons are trying to collect precious drinking water from a broken pipeline in Noida, the satellite town of Delhi.

Their actions show that the government’s promises of making drinking water available to every Indian is not true on the ground.

The Centre has launched schemes like AMRUT 2.0 which aims to provide 80 per cent of urban Indian households with tap water connections.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

In 2015, the Centre launched the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) in 500 selected cities across the country.

AMRUT 2.0, launched on October 1, 2021, with a total outlay of Rs 2,99,000 crore, had a lofty goal: 80 per cent of urban Indian households to be provided with tap water connections.

But as can be seen in these photos, the ground reality is very different.Photo: Vikas Choudhary/CSE

But people like these on the streets of Noida have not been able to access such connections. The reality on the ground, is thus far removed what is there on paper.

Delhi