Archive · 21 Aug 2026
IIT Kanpur Study Finds Rural Tap Water Improves Lives
IIT Kanpur studied how tap-water connections changed life in rural Uttar Pradesh.
The study covered about 4,000 families in 80 villages.
These families lived in Gonda, Bahraich, Shravasti and Balrampur.
Most families said their quality of life became better after getting taps.
Women and girls had less work collecting water and reported better safety and dignity.
Families used the extra time for chores, rest, caring for relatives and other activities.
Many households used tap water for drinking.
Nearly all surveyed households said they had not had a waterborne illness in the previous six months.
The study also found that girls’ school attendance improved in all four districts.
An IIT Kanpur study assessed the Jal Jeevan Mission across 80 villages and about 4,000 households in Uttar Pradesh’s Devi Patan region.
The four districts reported 97.11% functional household tap connection coverage, reaching 15.18 lakh rural households across 4,672 villages.
Overall, 75.8% of surveyed households reported a significant improvement in quality of life after receiving tap connections.
The study found improvements in women’s safety, dignity and workload, with households also gaining time for chores, rest, caregiving and other activities.
Tap water was widely used for drinking, 99.1% of households reported no waterborne illness in the previous six months, and girls’ school attendance increased across all four districts.
- Who
- IIT Kanpur, led by Professor Pradip Swarnakar, surveyed rural households in the Devi Patan region.
- What
- The study assessed the effects of household tap-water connections provided under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
- When
- The study examined conditions after households received tap connections; the illness finding covered the preceding six months.
- Where
- Gonda, Bahraich, Shravasti and Balrampur districts in Uttar Pradesh.
- Why
- To assess whether household tap water was improving quality of life, reducing water-collection burdens and supporting health, sanitation and education.
- Study coverage
- About 4,000 households across 80 villages, with 20 villages surveyed in each of four districts.
- Functional tap coverage
- The four districts had 97.11% Functional Household Tap Connection coverage.
- Households reached
- 15.18 lakh rural households had functional tap connections across 4,672 villages.
- Quality-of-life improvement
- 75.8% of households across the Devi Patan region reported a significant improvement.
- Women’s safety and dignity
- 70.2% of households reported a significant improvement overall.
- Waterborne illness
- 99.1% of households reported no waterborne illness during the preceding six months.
- Girls’ attendance
- Reported improvements in school attendance were 38.1% in Gonda, 17.4% in Bahraich, 15.1% in Shravasti and 13.2% in Balrampur.