AP rural homes to get tap water by 2028

The central government is taking significant steps to provide safe drinking water through household taps to every rural household under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0. Lanka Dinakar, Chairman of the Twenty-Point Program highlighted that the mission aims to establish long-term drinking water infrastructure across rural areas. The government has allocated a massive total outlay of Rs 8.69 lakh crore for the program, with the Centre contributing Rs 3.59 lakh crore.

In Andhra Pradesh, Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu has set the goal to provide safe tap water to every rural household in the state by December 2028.Andhra Pradesh has approximately 96 lakh rural households, and the government is working toward 100% coverage of safe drinking water.  Works have already begun in regions such as West Prakasam-Markapuram and East Godavari districts, leveraging long-term water resources.

When the Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in 2019, only about 16.75% of rural households nationwide had tap connections, while Andhra Pradesh stood at around 32.5%—nearly double the national average. However, Dinakar criticized the previous state government (2019–2024) for severe negligence in implementation. Despite national progress reaching 61.15% by December 2022, Andhra Pradesh lagged at just 34.66%.

The previous administration claimed 70% completion with just Rs 2,000 crore spent out of an estimated Rs 26,000 crore, which Dinakar described as misleading and contrary to facts. The project timeline has been extended to December 2028, with discussions held with the central government for necessary funds. With "double-engine" government coordination (central and state alignment), the mission is expected to be implemented efficiently in the state.