Jal Jeevan Mission & Atal Bhujal Yojana – Transforming Rural Water Access
The Government of India, in partnership with all States and Union Territories, has been implementing the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) – Har Ghar Jal. The objective is simple yet revolutionary: To provide safe drinking water through functional household tap connections to all rural households in the country.
When JJM was launched in 2019, there were only 3.23 crore rural households (about 17%) with tap water. As of 7 August 2025, more than 12.45 crore additional rural households have been given connections. Therefore, more than 15.68 crore households (81%) of the 19.36 crore rural households in India have been supplied with tap water supply primarily to their households.
Key Elements of JJM Implementation:
- The State Governments or UT Administrations are responsible for planning, designing, and implementation as drinking water is a State subject. The Central Government primarily provides technical and financial assistance.
- Basis of Allocation: Allocation of funds to States/UTs are based on factors such as rural population, SC/ST population, desert/drought prone areas, hilly regions, and contamination affected habitations.
Funding Pattern:
- 100% for UTs without legislature
- 90:10 for North Eastern & Himalayan States, and UTs with legislature
- 50:50 for other States
Monitoring & Technology: The Mission uses Aadhaar-based beneficiary tracking, geo-tagging of assets, third-party inspections, and IoT-based sensors to measure water supply in villages.
Public Access: Anyone can check the village and district-wise status of tap water coverage on the JJM Dashboard (link).
Water Quality and Reliability:
The 2022 independent Functionality Assessment showed:
- 86% of households had working tap connections.
- 85% received adequate quantity.
- 80% getting water supply regularly on a schedule.
- 87% getting water supply that met water quality.
Atal Bhujal Yojana – Securing Rural Groundwater
While the JJM scheme aims to supply tap water in households, The Atal Bhujal Yojana (ABY), commenced on 1 April 2020, is designed to address a much harder challenge, groundwater depletion, with a total budget of ₹6,000 crore and is being implemented in 8,203 water-stressed Gram Panchayats in 229 blocks in total across 80 districts in Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.
Significant Features of ABY:
- Community involvement: Villagers play an active role in developing and implementing Water Security Plans (WSP) to assure water sustainability.
- Fund Performance: States receive funding based on results – other underperforming States’ allocation can be held back and allocated to better performing ones.
- Transparency: Groundwater level, usage and WSP details are on available on Atal Jal Portal/ Mobile App.
- Monitoring: Several levels of monitoring and oversight vigour, (that is) village committees, plus National Level Steering Committee ensures funds are used properly.Independent audits and third-party verifications are regularly done.
Why These Schemes Matter for Rural India
Together, JJM and ABY are changing the face of rural water management:
- JJM ensures every home has access to clean drinking water, reducing the burden on women and children who earlier had to fetch water from far-off sources.
- ABY promises that there will be enough groundwater in the long run, including in regions of India that are experiencing water stress and drought.
- Both programs utilize government assistance, local ownership, and technology for sustainable rural water supply.
These advances mean healthier families, more productive farms, and vibrant rural economies; and are creating considerable momentum to achieve water security and water for in-home supply for all villages in India.
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