Technology matters in ensuring drinking water supplies to rural households

India’s success towards ensuring safe drinking water to a sizeable proportion of its rural population can be largely attributed to planning and implementation of improved drinking water supply schemes. Among these, handpumps are common and are increasing in numbers, at the same time higher budgetary allocations on piped water supplies (PWS) can be seen as the reasons for increased access of tap water at the household level. However, there are discernable patterns in technology adaptions by the implementing agencies at the State levels. As a result, reporting covered population is possible with the handpumps, as shown in the paper, but PWS promises improved water security and safety. In Post 2015 years, drinking water security and safety should serve the criterion for benchmarking.