Jal Jeevan Mission

The Jal Jeevan Mission aims to provide every rural household with safe drinking water through a tap connection at home. Its core objective is a functional household tap connection, meaning that water is supplied in adequate quantity, meets prescribed quality standards, and is available regularly on a long-term basis.

Core objective and service standard

The mission focuses on a dependable drinking-water service, not merely on installing taps or constructing pipelines. A household connection is functional only when the required quantity and quality of water are actually delivered regularly.

• The prescribed service level is at least 55 litres per person per day for rural households.
• The supplied drinking water must meet the prescribed quality standard, BIS IS 10500.
• Regular supply and long-term reliability are essential: counting installed connections alone does not establish that the mission’s objective has been achieved.
• Household access reduces dependence on fetching water from distant sources, particularly easing the burden on women and girls.

How the objective is pursued

Launched in 2019, the mission is implemented through cooperation between the Union government, states and rural communities. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, is the responsible Union department.

• Water-supply infrastructure connects drinking-water sources to households through treatment, storage and distribution arrangements suited to local conditions.
• Gram Panchayats and their village water and sanitation committees participate in planning, implementation, operation and maintenance of village water-supply systems.
• Water-quality monitoring and community surveillance help identify contamination and support corrective action.
• A village action plan brings together drinking-water supply, source sustainability, greywater management, and operation and maintenance.

Why source sustainability matters

A tap cannot provide a reliable service if its water source becomes depleted or contaminated. Therefore, source sustainability is integral to the mission’s drinking-water objective, linking household supply with conservation of local water resources.

• Measures such as rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge help strengthen the availability of drinking-water sources.
• Protection of water sources and appropriate treatment support the delivery of safe drinking water.
• Greywater management addresses wastewater generated by household activities and supports suitable local reuse.
• Community participation and arrangements for operation and maintenance help keep the service functioning after infrastructure has been built.