NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized India’s experience in water governance as a valuable reference point for nations across the Global South. On October 6, he shared an article reviewing reforms initially implemented in Gujarat and later expanded through nationwide initiatives. The article highlights that dependable water services depend on governance, planning, local involvement, and physical infrastructure. It also describes how India combined public investment with community management and institutional reform. This focus comes amid rising demand, climate challenges, and unequal access to safe water in many developing countries.
The article examines approximately 25 years of water policy reforms, drawing out several lessons from India’s journey. It underscores the importance of robust institutions, integrated water resources management, community ownership, and proactive planning for large-scale service delivery. Additionally, it details a framework centered on political leadership, public funding, partnerships, and public engagement. These principles are evident across programs related to drinking water, sanitation, groundwater, and conservation. Narendra Modi stated that the experience demonstrates that long-term water security requires both infrastructure and capable local systems.
India’s rural drinking-water initiative exemplifies this expansion. Data from Jal Jeevan Mission showed that about 15.91 crore rural households had tap-water connections by August 10, 2026. When the program launched in 2019, only around 3.23 crore households had such access. The mission’s goal is to provide functional household tap connections and reliable drinking-water services throughout rural India. Its latest phase emphasizes service quality, system maintenance, and performance, reflecting a shift from infrastructure counting to ongoing monitoring of water service functionality.
Jal Jeevan Mission broadens focus to ensure dependable water services
In March 2026, the Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, extending it through December 2028. The updated initiative has an approved budget of ₹8.69 lakh crore, with ₹3.59 lakh crore allocated for central assistance. The government also mandated that states and union territories develop reform plans covering implementation, funding, and monitoring. The new framework emphasizes operations and maintenance after infrastructure construction and links funding to measurable service delivery, stronger local management, and sustained access to safe drinking water.
Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 incorporates Sujalam Bharat, a national digital platform for rural piped-water infrastructure. This system maps water sources to household taps and assigns each village a service-area identity. Officials believe the platform will assist in planning, asset management, and accountability. Local governments and village institutions remain central to daily operations. Community organizations can oversee services, report issues, and support maintenance efforts. This approach integrates digital monitoring with local responsibility, rather than replacing community participation with technology.
Decentralized management underpins broader water reform initiatives
The article shared by Modi emphasizes that countries should treat water resources and services as interconnected. This approach links infrastructure decisions with the long-term availability of water for each system and places local institutions at the heart of service delivery. India’s current reforms follow this model through village-level management, digital oversight, and national funding. The framework combines extensive public programs with local oversight and ties rural water access to wider efforts in groundwater management, sanitation, conservation, and river restoration.
India’s water governance system integrates household tap connections, groundwater initiatives, sanitation measures, and conservation policies within a comprehensive national approach. The reforms are presented as lessons for other developing nations rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. India’s latest measures continue to connect infrastructure investment with accountability, system maintenance, and community involvement. The current program also prioritizes service reliability, making long-term system performance a key indicator of rural water delivery success.