The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) until December 2028 with a significantly enhanced financial outlay and a restructured implementation framework aimed at strengthening rural drinking water services.

The revamped mission shifts its focus from infrastructure creation to citizen-centric service delivery, supported by stronger drinking water governance systems and institutional mechanisms to ensure sustainable piped water supply in rural areas. The Cabinet has approved an enhanced total outlay of Rs 8.69 lakh crore, including central assistance of Rs 3.59 lakh crore — an increase of Rs 1.51 lakh crore over the earlier allocation approved in 2019–20.

As part of structural reforms under JJM 2.0, a nationwide digital framework titled “Sujalam Bharat” will be introduced. Under this system, every village will receive a unique digital identification code mapping the entire drinking water supply chain from source to tap. Transparency and accountability will be strengthened through active involvement of Gram Panchayats and Village Water and Sanitation Committees in project commissioning and formal handover processes under the initiative “Jal Arpan”.

Gram Panchayats will be authorised to declare their villages as “Har Ghar Jal” only after certifying that adequate local operation and maintenance systems are in place. To promote community ownership, the mission will institutionalise “Jal Utsav” as an annual village-level event for maintenance reviews and collective participation in ensuring sustainable water management.

Since its launch, the mission has made substantial progress in rural tap water coverage. From a baseline of 3.23 crore rural households (17%) with tap water connections in 2019, over 12.56 crore additional households have been covered. Currently, out of 19.36 crore identified rural households, about 15.80 crore households — representing 81.61% coverage — have access to tap water connections.

Independent assessments highlight the programme’s socio-economic impact. SBI Research reported that the mission has relieved nearly nine crore women from the burden of fetching water, enabling greater participation in economic activities. The World Health Organization estimated that improved water access could save 5.5 crore hours daily, prevent around 4 lakh diarrhoeal deaths and save millions of disability-adjusted life years. Nobel laureate Michael Kremer projected a potential 30% reduction in under-five mortality, while studies by Indian Institute of Management Bangalore and the International Labour Organization estimated large-scale employment generation through mission activities.

Under JJM 2.0, all Gram Panchayats are targeted to achieve “Har Ghar Jal” certification by providing tap water connections to all rural households by December 2028. The programme aligns with the broader national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047 by moving towards assured round-the-clock rural drinking water supply through sustainable, utility-based service delivery models.

The mission will also adopt a Whole-of-Government approach, ensuring coordination among multiple central ministries and departments to strengthen long-term operation, maintenance and source sustainability of rural water supply infrastructure.