NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized India’s experience in water governance as a valuable example for nations in the Global South. On October 6, he shared an article reviewing reforms first introduced in Gujarat and later expanded through national initiatives. The article noted that dependable water services depend on effective governance, strategic planning, and local engagement, alongside physical infrastructure. It also explained how India combined public investment with community management and institutional reforms. This focus comes amid increasing demand, climate challenges, and uneven access to safe water in many developing countries.
The article examines roughly 25 years of water policy evolution and extracts several lessons from India’s approach. It highlights the importance of stronger institutions, integrated water resource management, community ownership, and early planning for large-scale delivery. Additionally, it describes a framework centered on political leadership, public funding, partnerships, and citizen participation. These principles are reflected across programs involving drinking water, sanitation, groundwater, and conservation efforts. Narendra Modi stated that durable water security requires both physical infrastructure and capable local systems.
India’s rural drinking-water initiative exemplifies this expansion. Data from Jal Jeevan Mission showed that about 15.91 crore rural households had tap-water connections by August 10, 2026. When the program started in 2019, around 3.23 crore households had such connections. The mission’s goal is to provide functional household tap connections and reliable drinking-water services across rural India. Its latest phase emphasizes service quality, system maintenance, and performance. This shift reflects a broader move from merely counting infrastructure to actively monitoring whether water services remain operational.
Jal Jeevan Mission broadens its focus to ensure dependable water services
Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in March 2026, extending the program through December 2028. The revised initiative has an approved budget of ₹8.69 lakh crore, including ₹3.59 lakh crore in central assistance. The government also instructed states and union territories to develop reform plans covering implementation, funding, and monitoring. The new framework emphasizes operations and maintenance after infrastructure is built. It also links funding to measurable service delivery, stronger local management, and continued access to safe drinking water.
Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 incorporates Sujalam Bharat, a national digital platform for rural piped-water infrastructure. This system maps water sources to household taps and assigns each village a service-area identity. Officials expect it to support planning, asset management, and accountability. Local governments and village institutions remain central to daily management. Community groups can oversee services, report issues, and assist with maintenance. The approach combines digital monitoring with local responsibility, rather than viewing technology as a replacement for community participation.
Decentralized management underpins broader water reform strategies
The article shared by Modi states that countries should manage water resources and services together. This approach links infrastructure decisions with the long-term availability of water supply. It also places local institutions at the core of service delivery. India’s current water reforms follow this structure, employing village-level management, digital tools, and national funding. The model integrates large-scale public programs with local oversight. It also connects drinking-water access to wider efforts in groundwater management, sanitation, conservation, and river restoration.
India’s water governance system does not depend on a single scheme. Instead, it unites household tap connections, groundwater initiatives, sanitation measures, and conservation strategies within a comprehensive policy framework. The article presents these reforms as lessons for other developing nations, not as a one-size-fits-all solution. India’s latest measures continue to tie infrastructure investments to accountability, maintenance, and community involvement. The government’s current approach also prioritizes service reliability, making long-term system performance a key indicator of rural water delivery.