The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), aimed at providing functional tap connections to every rural household, has come to a halt in Kerala due to non-payment of dues amounting to ₹4,874 crore by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA). Contractors, who have been implementing the project, ceased work mid-February 2025 after waiting 18 months for payments.
According to KWA data as of April 30, 2025, administrative sanctions had been granted for works worth ₹44,718.78 crore. However, the failure to clear payments has left around 800 contractors in financial distress, with many reportedly facing bankruptcy. These works were carried out by government-approved contractors under the KWA’s oversight.
The Jal Jeevan Mission is a centrally sponsored initiative with equal cost-sharing between the Centre and the State. Despite the original deadline ending in 2024, the project timeline has now been extended to 2028. So far, the Centre has released ₹5,508.92 crore, while the State has contributed a slightly higher amount of ₹5,951.89 crore. In fact, over the past two financial years, the State has consistently outspent the Centre on this mission.
In the current fiscal year (2025–26), the Centre has not allocated any funds for the scheme, as per an RTI response from KWA. Meanwhile, the Kerala government has earmarked ₹500 crore for the project in its state budget. Following a strike by contractors in March, Irrigation Minister Roshi Augustine convened a meeting and promised that pending payments would be cleared through loans. However, the KWA’s website shows the last progress update was in February, confirming that the project remains stalled.
