In Jhalariya, a small village in Madhya Pradesh, fetching water was once an exhausting daily chore. Women walked long distances to collect it. Sometimes the wait took hours, and in summer, when sources ran dry, the search became even longer. The water was not always clean, but there was no choice.
Sitabai, a lifelong resident, remembers those days well. “I would wake up at 4 am daily to do household chores and fetch water, which was a two-kilometre walk one way. After this, I had to leave for work. I could not be late for attendance at the construction site where I was a labourer,” she said.
However, things changed in 2021, when the government successfully implemented ‘Jal Jeevan Mission’ in Jhalariya, giving all 284 households their own tap connections.
Sitabai’s story is just one among many. Across the country, in villages big and small, the government is helping turn the promise of ‘Har Ghar Jal’ (water for every household) into a daily reality, proving that when water flows, opportunity follows.
The Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched by the government on August 15, 2019, with an aim to provide tap water to every rural household.
In 2019, only 3.23 crore of India’s 19 crore rural households had access to tap water. Millions of families continued to rely on distant and often unsafe water sources, with hours each day spent fetching what should be a basic necessity. The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in response to that.
Now, with over 15.69 crore rural households, covering more than 81.01% of India’s villages, receiving tap water connections, the mission stands as a remarkable testament to collective resolve and sustained effort.
Moreover, a defining feature of the Mission is its village-first approach, which is explicitly built on a community-led philosophy. It emphasises a bottom-up planning approach. Rural communities are not mere beneficiaries; they are active stakeholders.
Due to such successes, the Union government is considering the continuation of the Mission until 2028 with an extended outlay.
The proposal focuses on improving infrastructure quality, ensuring effective operation and maintenance of rural piped water supply schemes, and promoting citizen-centric water service delivery, with guidelines for further funding under active review.
Why the Mission was born: Har Ghar Jal
In India, access to clean water is a fundamental right. Through the Jal Jeevan Mission, the government is committed to provide safe drinking water into millions of rural homes.
This success rests on close Centre–State coordination, with the Centre providing resources and guidance, and the States bringing the mission to life, village by village.
Blueprint of Change: Enablers of Transformation
At the heart of the Jal Jeevan Mission is a paradigm shift—from water as a government service to a community-owned resource. This vision has been made possible through a robust framework that emphasises decentralisation, participation, and sustainability:
Decentralised Planning: Villages are empowered to design and execute their own water supply systems through Village Action Plans.
Community Ownership: Local institutions such as Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) are responsible for planning, implementation, and maintenance.
Water Quality Monitoring: Over 24.80 lakh women have been trained to conduct water tests using Field Test Kits, making water safety a community-led effort.
Sustainability: Water source sustainability and greywater management have been integrated to ensure long-term water security.
Capacity Building: Widespread training and IEC (Information, Education, Communication) campaigns have fostered awareness and behavioural change.
The Jal Jeevan Mission is far more than a government programme. It is a lifeline.
It is the story of Sitabai and many like her, who now wake up to a new reality, where water is at the doorstep, and hope flows freely through every lane and household.