The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, organized a regional review meeting of States and Union Territories under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 at IIM Bangalore on October 7, 2026. The meeting was chaired by Secretary DDWS Shri Ashok K. K. Meena and attended by Additional Secretary & Mission Director NJJM Shri Kamal Kishore Soan along with senior officials from states and UTs.
Jal Jeevan Mission has achieved significant progress, with 15.96 crore rural households now having tap water connections compared to only 3.27 crore households at the mission's launch in August 2019. The focus of JJM 2.0 has shifted from infrastructure creation to sustainable and accountable service delivery, emphasizing source sustainability, water quality surveillance, digital governance, community participation, and long-term sustainability of rural water supply systems.
Secretary Meena emphasized that expenditure must translate into functional infrastructure supported by complete source-to-household connectivity, robust digital records, and effective monitoring systems. He identified pipeline leakages and breakages as the leading cause of water supply disruptions, followed by power cuts and low-voltage related challenges. States were urged to adopt both immediate and long-term solutions to improve system reliability.
The meeting discussed exploring renewable energy solutions for rural drinking water infrastructure, with ongoing discussions with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) to examine solarisation of drinking water assets across the country. Prof. Gopal Naik, JJM Professor Chair at IIM Bangalore, presented a study on "Power Cost Optimization in JJM Scheme" that examined various energy configurations including grid-based and solar-powered models and their implications on operational and life-cycle costs.
Presentations on water quality monitoring using Water Quality Management Information System (WQMIS) data showed significant improvements in drinking water quality compliance across several parameters following JJM implementation. Secretary Meena emphasized establishing independent water quality surveillance mechanisms and making water quality information available to Gram Panchayats and communities for data-driven decision-making.
States and UTs discussed progress on key JJM 2.0 priorities including State Implementation Plans, financial reconciliation, Har Ghar Jal certification in PM-JANMAN villages, Jal Arpan, digital governance initiatives, and water quality management. Additional Secretary Soan urged states to accelerate implementation of reform initiatives, complete Jal Arpan formal handover in all Har Ghar Jal villages, expedite water quality testing in Anganwadi Centres and public institutions, operationalize O&M Manuals at Gram Panchayat level, and utilize Decision Support System for source sustainability planning.