From infrastructure to impact: Securing Jal Jeevan Mission’s future

The Water Crisis Before Jal Jeevan Mission

Before the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was launched in 2019, India’s rural water supply situation was dire. At the time, nearly 40% of rural households traveled daily to collect drinking water, and less than 18% had access to piped water connections, according to the National Sample Survey's 76th round.

This meant that while  85% of the households had access to water within 200 meters of their homes, millions of rural women and girls still carried heavy containers of water back to their homes.

The burden was particularly severe on women and young girls, with some spending up to 6 hours daily on water collection duties. This not only affected their health and wellbeing but also limited their opportunities for education and economic participation.  Additionally, the water collected was often from unreliable sources, leading to widespread waterborne diseases and health issues.

Jal Jeevan Mission's Achievements From 2019 To 2024

The Jal Jeevan Mission, launched with the ambitious goal of providing functional household tap connections (FHTC) to every rural household by 2024, has made significant progress. Since its inception in 2019, JJM has expanded tap water connections from 16.7% to over 80% of rural households across India.

This rapid scaling has resulted in over 12 crore new household connections, transforming the lives of millions of rural families. The mission’s impact extends further, with additional studies from leading organizations highlighting its broader benefits

1. According to Nobel Laureate Michael Kremer, the Jal Jeevan Mission has the potential to significantly reduce child mortality rates in India, with studies suggesting it could prevent its 1.36 lakh under-five child deaths annually. 

2. IIM Bangalore supported by ILO estimates that beyond the infrastructure phase 11.84 lakh person years of direct employment in the O&M (Operations and Maintenance) phase. 

3. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that achieving full coverage will save over 5.5 crore hours daily in rural India, reducing the time women spend on water collection.

The Importance of Sustainability

Despite its notable achievements, sustaining JJM’s impact remains a challenge. Previous rural water supply programs in India have struggled with long-term sustainability, often failing to meet their objectives. Programs like the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP), Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, and the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) have suffered from similar shortcomings.

A performance audit of the NRDWP conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in 2018 found that despite significant investments, the program achieved only 44% of its coverage targets. The key reasons for these failures included:

1. Insufficient community ownership: Most schemes followed a top-down approach with limited community involvement in planning and implementation

2. Inadequate attention to O&M: Excessive focus on asset creation without corresponding emphasis on maintenance mechanisms

3. Weak institutional arrangements: Unclear roles and responsibilities between different levels of government and community institutions

4. Financial unsustainability: No viable mechanisms for cost recovery or regular funding for maintenance

5. Technical deficiencies: Poor quality construction, inappropriate technology choices, and inadequate technical support.

History has shown that without proper operation and maintenance mechanisms, rural water supply schemes can quickly fall into disrepair. There are troubling signs that this pattern may repeat, with some JJM schemes already facing breakdowns and service interruptions.

Also read: Budget 2025-26: Big jump in funding for Jal Jeevan Mission

If sustainability is not prioritized, rural households may find themselves in an even worse situation than before. Having abandoned their traditional water sources and become dependent on piped water supply, communities will face severe hardship when these systems fail. The breakdown of water infrastructure can lead to:

1. Return to unsafe water sources, increasing health risks

2. Renewed and probably worsened time burden on women and girls for water collection

3. Loss of trust in government programs and decreased community participation

4. Wasted public investment in infrastructure that no longer serves its purpose

The financial implications are equally concerning. The government has invested over ₹3.6 lakh crore in JJM infrastructure. Without sustainable O&M, this enormous investment risks being squandered, and future water security investments may be jeopardized.

Three Key Pillars for Ensuring Sustainability

Unlike previous water supply schemes that followed a top-down approach, JJM places communities at the center of planning, implementation, and management. As mentioned by the Hon’ finance minister in her budget speech 2025-26, the mission’s focus in the JJM 2.0 would be on the quality of infrastructure and O&M of water supply schemes through Jan Bhagidari. The Jal Jeevan Mission envisions Jan Bhagidari (people's participation) as a cornerstone of its implementation and sustainability strategy.

The continuation of Jal Jeevan Mission will focus on sustainable and long term operation and maintenance of rural piped water supply schemes through citizen centric delivery and Jan Bhagidari through Structural Reforms for transforming the rural water sector from “Development based approach” to “service delivery approach”.

This paradigm shift requires Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) to evolve beyond mere community representatives to function as professional rural water utilities with appropriate systems, processes, and accountability mechanisms. The 4 key reasons for failure of NRDWP can be avoided by empowering the VWSC’s with appropriate technical support from the state and a requisite backup for major issues.

To enable the VWSC’s to perform their job, there are 3 critical areas that need to be ensured.

1. Effective Handover to Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs)

The first critical step in ensuring sustainability is the proper handover of completed schemes to VWSCs. This process must go beyond mere paperwork and include:

• Comprehensive asset mapping and documentation

• Proper training of VWSC members on technical, financial, and administrative aspects of system management

• Development of clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) for routine maintenance

• Establishment of troubleshooting protocols and emergency response mechanisms

• Regular follow-up support during the initial period after handover

The handover should be treated as an ongoing process rather than a one-time event. A phased transfer of responsibilities with continuous support is essential until VWSCs demonstrate full capacity for independent management.

A critical challenge in this handover process is the institutional disconnect between departments. In many states, the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) is responsible for infrastructure creation and technical support in maintenance, while the VWSCs fall under the Panchayati Raj Department (PRD). The transition from infrastructure development to maintenance requires seamless coordination between PHED and PRD, not just at the village level but also at the highest levels of these departments. Without synergistic working relationships between these two departments, even the most well-designed handover protocols will falter. This interdepartmental coordination is a make-or-break factor for sustainability that requires urgent attention.

2. Empowering VWSCs through Fund, Function, and Functionaries

For VWSCs to succeed as effective rural water utilities, they need real empowerment through the three Fs: funds, functions, and functionaries. The transformation of VWSCs from nominal community bodies to functioning utilities is essential for implementing the Jan Bhagidari vision of JJM.

We need to trust the VWSCs with funds while establishing the right accountability mechanisms; enable them to perform their functions with appropriate capabilities and authority; and provide technical, process, and administrative support to help them execute their responsibilities effectively. This balanced approach of trust with accountability is essential for true community ownership.

Funds: VWSCs need reliable access to financial resources through:

• Clear mechanisms for water user fee collection

• Transparent financial management systems

• Dedicated bank accounts with appropriate controls

• Matching grants from government for major repairs

• Reserve funds for emergency maintenance

Functions: VWSCs must have clearly defined roles and responsibilities that enable them to act as professional utilities:

• Legal authority to manage water resources

• Power to make operational decisions

• Ability to enforce water conservation measures

• Rights to enter into service contracts

• Authority to collect and utilize user fees

• Customer service systems to address user complaints

• Performance monitoring and reporting mechanisms

• Transparent governance structures with community oversight

Functionaries: VWSCs require support from qualified personnel:

• Training for local water operators and plumbers

• Technical support from block and district level engineers

• Administrative support for record-keeping and financial management

• Water quality monitoring specialists

• Community mobilizers to ensure user participation

Without all three elements, VWSCs will struggle to maintain water supply systems effectively, leading to gradual deterioration of services. 

The Government is aware of it and recognition of VWSCs as a legal entity through respective state panchayat acts has been envisaged. But we have all seen and are aware of the non functional VWSC’s across most of the states. Unless legal entity status is also supplemented with appropriate 3Fs, we will never empower them with them.

3. Addressing Financial and Viability Gap in Funding

The most challenging aspect of sustainability is financial viability. There is often a significant gap between the actual cost of operation and maintenance and what rural communities can afford to pay through user fees. This gap must be addressed through:

• Accurate assessment of long-term O&M costs, including routine maintenance, power costs, replacement of components, and major repairs

• Realistic water tariff structures that balance affordability with cost recovery

• Clear policy on viability gap funding to supplement user contributions

• Performance-based incentives for VWSCs that achieve high collection efficiency

• Innovative financing mechanisms such as revolving funds for repairs

• Cross-subsidization where feasible to support poorer communities

• Integration with MGNREGA and other schemes to reduce maintenance costs

State governments need to develop clear policies on viability gap funding, specifying what percentage of O&M costs will be covered by government subsidies and under what conditions. Without this clarity, VWSCs are left with unfunded mandates that cannot be fulfilled.

Beyond Connections: Securing the Future of Rural Water Supply

The Jal Jeevan Mission represents one of the most ambitious efforts to address rural water security globally. Its achievements in expanding access to tap water connections are commendable. However, the true success of JJM will be measured not by the initial coverage statistics but by the long-term sustainability of these systems.

The mission's emphasis on Jan Bhagidari has created a unique opportunity to transform rural water management through community ownership. By enabling VWSCs to function as professional utilities rather than symbolic committees, JJM can establish a sustainable model that combines technical expertise with community agency.

By focusing on effective handover processes, genuinely empowering VWSCs, and addressing the financial viability gap, India can ensure that the benefits of JJM endure for generations. The alternative—allowing these systems to fall into disrepair—would represent not only a massive waste of public resources but also a profound betrayal of the trust placed by rural communities in this transformative program.

The time to prioritize sustainability is now—while the mission is still early in its implementation phase. Establishing robust O&M mechanisms from the start is far more effective than retrofitting them after systems begin to deteriorate. With proper attention to sustainability, the Jal Jeevan Mission can truly fulfill its promise of "Har Ghar Jal" (Water for Every Household) not just as a momentary achievement, but as a permanent reality for rural India.

Citations:

Ministry of Jal Shakti. (2023). "Annual Report 2022-23." Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India.

UNICEF & Jal Jeevan Mission. (2022). "Impact Assessment of Jal Jeevan Mission on Women and Girls." Ministry of Jal Shakti, Government of India.

Ministry of Finance. (2024). "Economic Survey 2023-24: Infrastructure Development." Government of India.

Ministry of Jal Shakti. (2019). "Operational Guidelines for Implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission." Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India.

World Bank. (2023). "Strengthening Water Supply and Sanitation Service Delivery through Village Water and Sanitation Committees in Rural India." Water Global Practice, World Bank Group.

Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. (2013). "Evolution of Rural Drinking Water Programme in India." Government of India.

Comptroller and Auditor General of India. (2018). "Performance Audit of National Rural Drinking Water Programme." Report No. 15 of 2018, Government of India.