Parliament Question: Extension of Jal Jeevan Mission

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3018 ANSWERED ON 06/08/2026 EXTENSION OF JAL JEEVAN MISSION 3018. SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE: SMT. BHARTI PARDHI: DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE: DR. RAJ KUMAR CHABBEWAL: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE: SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR: Will the Minister of Jal Shakti be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government proposes to extend the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) up to December 2028 with the objective of achieving universal coverage of Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) across the country and if so, the details thereof; (b) the extent of progress achieved under the said Mission so far including the coverage of rural households and improvements made in drinking water infrastructure; (c) the reasons and policy considerations that necessitated the proposed extension of the said Mission beyond its earlier timeline; (d) the strategies being adopted during the extended period to address regional disparities, water quality challenges and sustainability of drinking water sources; and (e) whether the proposed extension is aligned with the long-term objectives of water security and improved public health outcomes and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI V. SOMANNA) (a) & (b) Drinking Water being a State subject, it is the States, who plan, design, approve and implement drinking water supply schemes including those under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Government of India supplements the efforts of the States by providing technical and financial assistance for the implementation of the mission In August, 2019, Government of India approved Jal Jeevan Mission to be implemented in partnership with States for a period of five years (2019-24) for making provision of tap water supply to every rural household. Page 1 of 2At the time of announcement of the JJM, only 3.23 crore (17%) rural households were reported to have tap water connections in the country. So far, as reported by States/ UTs as on 18.07.2026, around 12.66 crore additional rural households have been provided with tap water connections. Thus, as on 18.07.2026, out of 19.36 crore rural households in the country, around 15.89 crore (82.09%) households are reported to have tap water connections in their homes. (c) to (e) To complete the ongoing works, Hon'ble Finance Minister during her budget speech 2025-26 announced extension of JJM until 2028. In March, 2026, Union Cabinet has approved extension of the JJM period up to December 2028, with an enhanced outlay and a restructured implementation framework focusing on structural reforms in the rural drinking water supply sector under JJM 2.0. The total outlay of the mission has been increased from Rs 3.60 lakh crore to Rs. 8.69 lakh crore with enhancement of total central assistance from Rs 2.08 lakh crore to Rs 3.59 lakh crore. JJM has been envisioned and implemented as a decentralized, demand-driven and community managed programme, wherein the Gram Panchayat (GP) and/ or its sub-committee/ user group i.e. Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC)/ Pani Samiti have been empowered to plan, implement, manage, operate and maintain in-village water supply system to provide regular and assured tap water supply in rural households. Further, provision has been made in the operational guidelines for implementation of JJM for the preparation of Village Action Plan (VAP) for engaging village community, which inter alia includes strengthening of drinking water sources in convergence with other schemes. To promote Jan Bhagidari for sustainable and continuous service delivery under the JJM, a standardized “Handbook on Community-Managed Piped Water Systems” has been launched under the Jal Arpan initiative. The handbook mandates a 15-day trial run involving GPs and VWSC/ Pani Samiti members to ensure smooth handover of water supply schemes and sustainable operations. In addition, Jal Seva Ankalan has been initiated as a Gram Panchayat led digital assessment tool for evaluating the functionality and service delivery of rural drinking water supply systems. Moreover, for enabling the local village community to play their role in operation and maintenance of water supply schemes, Nal Jal Mitra Programme (NJMP) has been launched in collaboration with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to equip them with a comprehensive set of skills & develop “Nal Jal Mitras”, so that they can function as scheme operators and are able to carry out minor repairs and maintenance, including preventive maintenance, of the piped water supply scheme(s) in their village as skilled masons, plumbers, fitters, electricians, motor mechanics, pump operators, etc. Provisions have also been made for planning and implementation of bulk water transfer from long distances and regional water supply schemes for ensuring tap water supply in drought-prone & water- scarce areas/ areas with inadequate rainfall or dependable ground water sources. In addition, provisions have been made for source recharging, viz. dedicated bore well recharge structures, rain water recharge, rejuvenation of existing water bodies, etc., in convergence with other schemes such as VB-G RAM G, Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), 15th and 16th Finance Commission tied grants to RLBs/ PRIs, State schemes, CSR funds, etc. JJM 2.0 also fosters the vision of Viksit Bharat @ 2047 with assured supply of drinking water by shifting from infrastructure-centric approach to a citizen-centric utility-based service delivery approach through Structural Reforms. ***** Page 2 of 2