Cabinet Extends Jal Jeevan Mission Till 2028 – What Big Changes Are Coming in JJM 2.0?

The Union Cabinet was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved the extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) till December 2028. And extension happen with a significant enhanced financial outlay. This program will now shift its focus from infrastructure creation to service delivery and sustainable rural drinking water supply. Under the new framework which is called JJM 2.0 the government plans to strengthen institutional systems, community participation and digital monitoring.

Increased Funding under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0

The restructuring of the Jal Jeevan Mission include a significant increase in financial support to accelerate the goal of universal rural drinking water coverage. The government has also approved a revised mission outlay of ₹8.69 lakh crore. And in which it will be used for strengthening water supply infrastructure and service delivery systems across rural India.

When the Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in 2019 the total central assistance approved was ₹2.08 lakh crore. With the extension and restructuring the central government has now increased its share by ₹1.51 lakh crore raising it to ₹3.59 lakh crore.

Digital Monitoring through Sujalam Bharat Framework

A major reform in JJM 2.0 is the introduction of a uniform national digital framework called “Sujalam Bharat.”

This system will digitally map the entire rural water supply chain and also ensuring transparency and efficient management.

Under the Sujalam Bharat framework every village will be assigned a unique Sujal Gaon or Service Area ID.

This digital mapping will tracking the entire drinking water supply system from the water source to household tap connection.

With monitoring this will help governments quickly identify operational issues and ensure better accountability in Jal Jeevan Mission implementation.

Strengthening Local Governance through Jal Arpan

The Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 places strong emphasis on community ownership and local governance in rural water supply systems.

To enhance transparency the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) will be actively involved in verifying and commissioning water supply projects.

Through the “Jal Arpan” initiative the local governing bodies will formally receive and certify the completion of drinking water infrastructure projects.

A Gram Panchayat will declare itself “Har Ghar Jal” only after ensuring proper operation and maintenance mechanisms are in place.

Community Participation through Jal Utsav

Recognizing that long term sustainability of water supply depends on community involvement the government will promote an annual event called “Jal Utsav.”

This initiative will encourage villagers to participate in the maintenance and review of their water supply systems.

The Jal Utsav program will integrate the local cultural traditions with water conservation awareness.

Achievements of Jal Jeevan Mission So Far

The Jal Jeevan Mission has already made the significant progress in expanding rural tap water connections across the country.

When the mission was started in the 2019 and only 3.23 crore rural households (17%) had access to tap water connections.

Since the implementation the government has provided over 12.56 crore additional tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission.

As of now out of 19.36 crore rural households identified in India which are nearly 15.80 crore households (81.61%) have access to tap water supply.

Vision of JJM 2.0 and Viksit Bharat 2047

The extended Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 aims to ensure that all 19.36 crore rural households in India receive functional tap water connections by December 2028.

The program will also aims to move toward a 24*7 rural drinking water supply system through improved governance and operational reforms.

This mission aligns with the national vision of Viksit Bharat @2047.

And where sustainable water management, efficient infrastructure and community participation will play a central role in ensuring universal safe drinking water access across rural India.

Question

Q. The Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 introduced which digital monitoring framework for rural drinking water supply?

A. Jal Suraksha Portal
B. Sujalam Bharat
C. WaterNet India
D. Jal Digital Grid