Cabinet Extends Jal Jeevan Mission to 2028

Extended Timeline: December 2028 (JJM 2.0).
Total Outlay: Rs 8.69 lakh crore (enhanced).
Target Coverage: Tap‑water connections for 19.36 crore rural households (100% ‘Har Ghar Jal’).
Current Coverage: 15.80 crore households (81.61%).
Digital Framework: Sujalam Bharat – each village gets a unique Sujal Gaon/Service Area ID to map the water supply chain from source to tap.
Community Ownership: Gram Panchayats and Village Water Sanitation Committees must certify ‘Har Ghar Jal’ after verifying operation & maintenance.
Strategic Vision: Aligns with Viksit Bharat @2047, shifting from infrastructure‑centric to citizen‑centric utility‑based service delivery.

Launched in 2019, the original Jal Jeevan Mission aimed to provide safe drinking water to every rural household by 2024.
Progress was substantial but fell short of universal coverage, prompting the JJM 2.0 overhaul.
The mission is administered by the Ministry of Jal Shakti in coordination with Rural Development, Health & Family Welfare, and State Governments.

Public Health: WHO estimates a reduction of 4 lakh diarrhoeal deaths and a 30 % fall in under‑five mortality.
Women’s Empowerment: Approximately 9 crore women freed from water‑fetching, saving 5.5 crore hours daily.
Economic Impact: IIM Bangalore & ILO project 59.9 lakh direct and 2.2 crore indirect person‑years of employment.
Digital Governance: Sujalam Bharat creates a nation‑wide, real‑time database, enhancing transparency, accountability and enabling data‑driven decision‑making.
Policy Paradigm Shift: Emphasises ‘Whole of Government’ approach, integrating water supply with health, sanitation, gender, and rural development agendas.

Article 21 – Right to life includes the right to clean drinking water.
National Water Policy (2012) – Stresses universal access to safe water.
Constitutional Directive Principles (Article 47) – Duty of the State to improve public health.
Jal Shakti Ministry’s statutory guidelines – Provide the legal framework for water supply schemes and community participation.