The Union Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has given the green light to revamp the Jal Jeevan Mission. This restructuring shifts the mission’s emphasis from building infrastructure to enhancing service delivery. The total outlay for the mission has been raised to Rs 8.69 lakh crore, with a significant increase in Central assistance to Rs 3.59 lakh crore.
A new national digital framework called Sujalam Bharat will be implemented, assigning a unique ID to every village for mapping the drinking water supply system digitally. The program aims to ensure transparency and accountability by involving Gram Panchayats and Village Water and Sanitation Committees in the scheme’s handover through Jal Arpan.
The mission stresses community ownership and participation for operational efficiency and sustainability. It plans to promote “Jal Utsav” as an annual event for community-led maintenance and review, integrating local cultural values. With over 12.56 crore rural households already connected to tap water under JJM, the goal is to reach all 19.36 crore rural households by December 2028.
