Jal Jeevan Mission reflects PM Modi’s inclusive and welfare-focused governance model

India’s Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) is one of the biggest public infrastructure projects launched during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s tenure. It began on August 15, 2019, with the goal of giving every rural household a functional tap water connection by 2024.

When the mission started, only 17% of rural households (3.23 crore) had tap water. By February 2025, more than 15.44 crore households were connected, raising coverage to nearly 80%. That’s 12.20 crore new connections in under six years — one of the fastest rates of infrastructure delivery in the world.

So far, 11 states and Union Territories — including Goa, Haryana, Telangana, Gujarat, Puducherry, and several northeastern states — have achieved 100% coverage. The mission has also brought tap water to 89% of schools and 85% of Anganwadi centres.

To manage the massive effort, JJM works through multiple levels — from the National Jal Jeevan Mission to state and district bodies, and finally Gram Panchayat-level committees that oversee work locally.

Innovation, monitoring, and accountability

JJM isn’t just about laying pipes — it uses advanced technology and strong monitoring systems to ensure the water supply is safe, regular, and reliable.

The mission uses:

• IoT-based sensors for real-time monitoring

• Digital dashboards for public tracking of progress

• Water quality testing systems at community level

India has 2,162 laboratories for testing water quality, and 24.80 lakh women trained to use Field Testing Kits. This empowers communities to check water safety themselves.

Multiple online systems — including the JJM Dashboard, Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), and Water Quality Monitoring Information System (WQMIS) — give unprecedented transparency. Independent third-party checks also confirm results.

A 2022 assessment showed:

• 86% of households had working taps

• 85% got enough water

• 80% received it regularly

• 87% had water that met quality standards

The speed of work is increasing — in just the first eight months of this year, India installed 2.16 crore new tap water connections, already more than the total for 2022.

A LocalCircles survey found an increase in people rating their tap water as “good” or better — from 35% last year to 44% this year. However, challenges remain — 14% still rated their water quality as poor or very poor, and 72% still purify their tap water before drinking.

Health, economic, and social benefits

Clean water is more than convenience — it saves lives. Nobel Laureate Michael Kremer’s research found that successful JJM implementation could prevent 1.36 lakh deaths of children under five each year — a 30% drop in child mortality.

The World Health Organization estimates that universal tap water coverage in India could:

• Save 5.5 crore hours daily that people spend collecting water

• Prevent 4 lakh deaths each year from waterborne diseases

The IIM Bengaluru study projects the mission will create 11.84 lakh person-years of direct employment during operations and maintenance.

JJM has also tackled serious contamination problems. In 2019, over 14,000 rural areas in six states had arsenic in drinking water. By July 2023, that number had fallen to about 460 areas across just three states — West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh — plus a few in Assam.

Universal access to safe water could also prevent 14 million Disability Adjusted Life Years lost to diarrhoeal diseases, saving the economy an estimated $101 billion.

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Challenges and the road ahead

Despite huge progress, JJM missed its original December 2024 deadline. Some states — including West Bengal, Rajasthan, Kerala, and Jharkhand — are still behind, with around 46% of households lacking safe drinking water.

The government has extended the target to 2028 and allocated Rs 67,000 crore for 2025–26 to keep work going.

JJM is part of PM Modi’s wider governance style — focusing on long-term infrastructure like water, sanitation, housing, and digital connectivity rather than just short-term welfare handouts. The mission shows that building permanent public assets can bring both development benefits and political stability.

Unlike older welfare schemes that mainly handed out money or subsidies, JJM builds capacity in rural India — creating jobs, empowering women, and strengthening local governance. This approach makes improvements measurable and lasting.

The message is clear: when infrastructure is well-planned, efficiently executed, and monitored, it doesn’t just improve daily life — it can also transform health, the economy, and trust in governance.