Jal Jeevan Mission Extended Till 2028
₹8.69 lakh crore outlay approved as JJM 2.0 shifts focus to rural water service delivery
- Cabinet extends Jal Jeevan Mission till December 2028
- Total outlay raised to ₹8.69 lakh crore with higher central assistance
- JJM 2.0 to shift focus from infrastructure to water service delivery
- 81.6% rural households now have tap water connections
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 10th March: The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) until December 2028, along with a significantly enhanced financial outlay and a restructured implementation strategy aimed at strengthening rural drinking water supply.
The government has approved an enhanced total outlay of ₹8.69 lakh crore for the mission, with central assistance increased to ₹3.59 lakh crore, up from ₹2.08 lakh crore approved during the launch of the scheme in 2019–20.
The revamped programme, referred to as JJM 2.0, will shift focus from merely creating infrastructure to ensuring reliable service delivery of piped drinking water, supported by stronger governance and institutional mechanisms.
As part of the reform measures, the government will introduce a national digital framework called “Sujalam Bharat”, under which every village will be assigned a unique Sujal Gaon or Service Area ID. This system will digitally map the entire drinking water supply network from source to tap.
To enhance transparency and accountability, Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) will play a greater role in the commissioning and handover of water supply schemes through a process called “Jal Arpan.”
A Gram Panchayat will certify the completion of water infrastructure and declare the village “Har Ghar Jal” only after confirming that proper operation and maintenance systems are in place.
The programme will also promote community participation through an annual event called “Jal Utsav,” where villages will collectively review maintenance and sustainability of their water supply systems.
Since the launch of the Jal Jeevan Mission in 2019, the scheme has made substantial progress. At that time, only 3.23 crore rural households (17%) had tap water connections. Under the mission, more than 12.56 crore additional rural households have been connected to piped water supply.
Currently, out of 19.36 crore rural households identified by states and Union Territories, about 15.80 crore households (81.61%) now have tap water connections.
Several studies have highlighted the wider social impact of the mission. According to SBI Research, the scheme has freed nearly 9 crore women from the burden of fetching water, allowing greater participation in economic activities.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that improved water access has saved 5.5 crore hours of daily labour for women, prevented nearly 4 lakh deaths due to diarrhoeal diseases, and reduced disease burden significantly.
Studies by Nobel laureate Prof. Michael Kremer suggest that the mission could reduce under-five mortality by around 30 percent, potentially saving 1.36 lakh lives annually.
Research by IIM Bangalore and the International Labour Organization (ILO) estimates that the mission has the potential to generate 59.9 lakh direct person-years and 2.2 crore indirect person-years of employment, strengthening rural livelihoods.
Under JJM 2.0, the government aims to provide tap water connections to all 19.36 crore rural households by December 2028, while ensuring long-term sustainability and reliable service delivery.
The initiative forms part of the government’s broader vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047, with the long-term goal of ensuring 24×7 safe drinking water supply in rural India through a citizen-centric, utility-based water management system.
