Jal Jeevan Mission

The Jal Jeevan Mission provides rural households with safe tap water, focusing on source sustainability, quality, and community management. While progressing, it faces challenges including O&M, water quality, and ensuring the long-term functionality of connections.

The Minister of State for Jal Shakti in the Rajya Sabha said that States/UTs have received over 17,000 complaints of "irregularities" and "poor work quality" in Jal Jeevan Mission projects, with Uttar Pradesh accounting for about 84%.

It was launched in2019, under theMinistry of Jal Shakti, to provide safe and adequate drinking water to every rural household in India.

Core Objective & Vision

Universal Access:Supply a minimum of55 litres of potable water per capita per day (LPCD)to every rural household through a Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC).

Holistic Approach:Integrates source sustainability measures like rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, and greywater management for long-term water security.

People's Movement:Create a 'Jan Andolan' (people's movement) for water, making it a community-managed programme.

Key Features of the Mission

Decentralized Implementation:The mission empowers local communities by makingPani Samitisor Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) responsible for planning, implementing, managing, operating, and maintaining the in-village water supply systemsThese committees must have at least50% women members.

Community Contribution:Communities contribute 5% to 10% of the capital cost in cash, kind, or labour, fostering a sense of ownershipThis contribution is 5% for hilly, forested, and NE states.

Focus on Water Quality:Emphasis is placed on regular water quality testing in accredited laboratories and training community members, especially women, to use Field Test Kits (FTKs).

The financial sharing pattern

Progress and Current status

As of early November 2025, the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has achieved significant progress, providing tap water connections to over 15.75 crore (81.37%) rural households across India

Eleven States and Union Territories have achieved full (100%) tap water coverage in all rural households:

• Goa
• Andaman & Nicobar Islands
• Dadra & Nagar Haveli & Daman & Diu
• Haryana
• Telangana
• Puducherry
• Gujarat
• Himachal Pradesh
• Punjab
• Mizoram
• Arunachal Pradesh

Tap water supply has been ensured in over 66% schools and 60% Anganwadi centres.

The mission, initially aiming for 100% coverage by 2024, has been extended until December 2028

Challenges in Implementation

1Quality of Infrastructure & Irregularities

Between 2021 and 2023, the Ministry of Jal Shakti received over17,000 complaintsof financial irregularities and poor workmanship, indicating major systemic issues in the state's project execution and oversight, and a gap in accountability.

2Source Sustainability and Operation & Maintenance (O&M)

The long-term success of JJM is threatened by inadequate focus on water source sustainability due to over-reliance on over-exploited groundwater and weak Operation and Maintenance (O&M) capacity in Gram Panchayats and Pani Samitis.

3Gaps in Water Quality Monitoring

The mission tests for bacteria and common chemicals but often neglects emerging threats likeuraniumand other radioactive pollutants, which are not uniformly monitored, creating a major public health risk in affected regions.

Strengthen Accountability:Impose penalties on states for irregularities and change the funding mechanism from lump-sum toscheme-wise releasesto enhance accountability.

Focus on 'Functionality':Shift focus from simply counting connections to ensuring functionality. UsingIoT-based sensorsfor real-time monitoring of water flow and quality can help track service delivery accurately.

Integrate Source Sustainability:Convergence of schemes like the Atal Bhujal Yojana (for groundwater management) and MGNREGA (for creating water conservation assets) to ensure source sustainability.

Empower Local Institutions:Build the financial and technical capacity of Pani Samitis through dedicated training and support, enabling them to effectively manage O&M and set viable water tariffs.

Expand Water Quality Surveillance:Water quality testing must be expanded to include emerging contaminants relevant to specific regions, with mandatory testing and public disclosure of reports.