NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emphasized India’s experience in water governance as a model for nations across the Global South. On October 6, he shared an article that details reforms initiated in Gujarat and their subsequent adoption in national water programs. Modi underscored that water security involves more than just physical infrastructure. He highlighted the importance of strategic planning, capable local institutions, and active community participation as critical components of effective water management. The article presents India’s approach as a practical example for countries facing increasing demand and mounting pressure on water resources.
Tracing water-governance reforms over approximately 25 years, the article starts with initiatives in Gujarat during Modi’s tenure as chief minister. It distills four key lessons for emerging economies, emphasizing stronger governance, joint management of water resources and services, community ownership, and scalable planning. The framework also incorporates elements such as political leadership, public funding, partnerships, and civic engagement. These concepts are linked to national programs that address drinking water, sanitation, groundwater management, river conservation, and water-use efficiency.
The expansion of rural drinking-water access provides a concrete indicator of the scale achieved by India’s national efforts. According to Jal Jeevan Mission data, roughly 15.91 crore rural households had tap-water connections as of August 10, 2026, a significant increase from about 3.23 crore households when the program launched in 2019. The focus of the initiative remains on providing functional household tap connections to rural families. Its current phase emphasizes service quality, reliability, and sustainable maintenance over infrastructure development alone.
Jal Jeevan Mission Shifts Focus Toward Service Quality
Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 in March 2026, extending the program through December 2028. The updated initiative has an approved expenditure of ₹8.69 lakh crore, with ₹3.59 lakh crore allocated for central assistance. The government has shifted implementation towards ensuring reliable, sufficient, and safe drinking water for rural households. States and union territories are required to develop integrated reform plans that cover implementation, funding, and monitoring. The new structure emphasizes the importance of operating and maintaining systems after construction to sustain services over time.
A key component of the revised framework is Sujalam Bharat, a national digital platform designed to map rural piped-water networks from source to household tap. Each village is assigned a unique service-area identity under this system. Its goal is to enhance planning, track assets, and improve accountability in drinking-water schemes. Community institutions continue to play an active role at the village level, managing systems, monitoring service quality, and supporting ongoing maintenance under the broader rural water program.
Community Participation Remains Central to Water Management
Modi’s shared article advocates for integrated management of water resources and services. Infrastructure planning should consider the long-term sustainability of water sources feeding these systems. It also emphasizes local engagement, including institutions capable of overseeing village-level water services. This approach is reflected in current national reforms, which combine service delivery with governance, digital monitoring, and local management. These elements form the foundation of India’s current water-governance strategy aimed at other developing nations.
India’s model integrates rural tap-water expansion with groundwater management, sanitation, conservation, and river-cleaning initiatives. The article presents this holistic approach as a collection of lessons rather than a single blueprint for other countries. Modi’s remarks on October 6 reiterated that water security depends not only on infrastructure but also on institutions and communities. India’s latest reforms advance this principle by combining substantial public investments with local management, digital oversight, and service standards.