India’s water management priorities have evolved significantly in recent years, with the formation of the Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) marking a transformative step towards a more integrated and coordinated approach to water governance. The ministry has pioneered a range of initiatives aimed at strengthening water conservation, improving access to safe drinking water, rejuvenating rivers and enhancing water use efficiency. With water availability varying considerably across regions, ensuring its equitable and sustainable management requires not only robust infrastructure and effective policies, but also greater community participation and behavioural change. Therefore, flagship programmes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Namami Gange have placed communities at the centre of water management. These efforts are reshaping India’s water sector and advancing the broader vision of a water-secure and Viksit Bharat. At a recent industry event, C.R. Patil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti, highlighted India’s progress in the areas of water conservation, clean water access and river rejuvenation. He also outlined the role of the ministry’s flagship programmes such as JJM and Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari in improving tap water access and driving local water conservation initiatives respectively, to support India’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047. Edited excerpts…
Strengthening water supply storage and equitable access for water security
Water is life, yet India’s challenge is not an absolute shortage of water but its uneven availability, inadequate storage and inefficient management, making conservation and equitable distribution critical to ensuring long-term water security. India receives around 4,000 billion cubic metres (bcm) of rainfall annually, against a current water requirement of 1,120 bcm, which is expected to rise to 1,180 bcm by 2047.
Despite having more than 6,526 dams, the country’s total water storage capacity is only 750 bcm. The remaining 370 bcm of water demand is largely met through groundwater extraction, placing increasing pressure on groundwater resources.
Since September 2024, water conservation is being transformed from Jan Bhagidari (people’s participation) into a Jan Andolan (people’s movement). Reflecting steady progress in this direction, around 4 million water conservation structures have been created in 10 months, driven by community participation. Government funding is also supporting this effort. The new Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) scheme is expected to provide around Rs 350 billion for water supply.
“The Namami Gange Programme combines infrastructure development with community participation, pollution abatement and improved wastewater management.”
Expanding tap water access and strengthening rural water quality
The central government is placing significant emphasis on ensuring functional and safe tap water connections in rural households through the JJM. The Har Ghar Jal initiative of the JJM has substantially expanded access to piped drinking water, with tap water connections now reaching over 160 million rural households.
Beyond improving access, the initiative has helped reduce the time and effort spent by women in collecting water. Previously, women collectively spent around 45 million hours each day fetching water. This initiative has also helped improve their safety and reduce dependence on potentially unsafe water sources.
Apart from expanding rural water coverage, the government is strengthening drinking water quality monitoring through community participation and engagement. Around 2.48 million women across villages have been trained to test drinking water using field testing kits, with test reports from more than 800,000 women already updated on the JJM portal. This community-led approach enables local monitoring of water quality and encourages greater ownership of rural water supply systems. The initiative, therefore, seeks to ensure that household tap connections provide not only access to water but also safe, reliable and quality drinking water.
River rejuvenation, linking and wastewater treatment
River cleaning and rejuvenation remain a key priority under the Namami Gange programme, which focuses on the Ganga and six priority rivers, including the Yamuna. Along the Ganga, around 211 sewage treatment plants have been established and are operational, contributing to improved water quality and supporting river restoration efforts.
The programme combines infrastructure development with community participation, pollution abatement and improved wastewater management. Villages along the Ganga river are being encouraged to act as custodians of the river and prevent waste from entering the water. Industrial effluents are required to be treated before discharge. Similar measures are being implemented for the Yamuna river, including the interception and treatment of drains discharging into
the river.
For the Yamuna, the immediate objective is to improve its overall condition and, eventually, make it suitable for drinking. Achieving this target will require addressing pollution from upstream sources, augmenting water availability and completing the Kishau Dam project.
Given the technical, environmental and interstate challenges involved, including the lack of coordination among multiple stakeholders, a specific timeline for achieving the desired water quality standards has not yet been set, reflecting the complexity of the task.
Further, river linking is being pursued as a long-term strategy to improve water availability, address regional disparities and strengthen water security. One of the early examples was seen in Gujarat, where Narmada riverwater was transferred to other rivers, helping replenish water bodies and support irrigation. Further, the Ken-Betwa River Linking Project, connecting Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, is a major ongoing initiative with an estimated investment of Rs 440 billion. The project is expected to provide drinking water to nearly 6.2 million people with its completion targeted by 2030.
The Madhya Pradesh-Rajasthan River Linking Project, estimated at Rs 770 billion, is also progressing. It is expected to provide drinking water to 5 million people. Its detailed project report (DPR) and interstate MoU have been completed. Separately, a proposal is being developed to transfer surplus water from Haryana to Rajasthan, with the DPR already prepared.
Decentralised water conservation
Alongside large-scale river linking, the Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari initiative emphasises decentralised water conservation by retaining rainwater within villages and agricultural fields through rainwater harvesting and local recharge structures. The approach aims to improve groundwater availability, strengthen local water resources and reduce dependence on external sources. Community participation remains central, with citizens encouraged to conserve water, prevent river pollution and adopt responsible water management practices.
Rainwater harvesting and recharge structures can play a critical role in improving water availability, particularly in rural and agricultural areas. For instance, constructing recharge pits filled with gravel in agricultural fields can help capture and facilitate the percolation of substantial quantities of rainwater into the ground. Such decentralised interventions can improve water availability in villages and farms while supporting groundwater recharge.
Building water conservation awareness
Achieving water security requires greater attention to water conservation, rainwater harvesting and the efficient use of available resources. Even small quantities of water wasted locally on a daily basis can lead to significant water shortages at a large scale. For instance, if every person wastes even one glass of water a day, the cumulative wastage could amount to around 1.4 billion glasses daily. This highlights the need for collective action to reduce everyday water wastage and promote responsible consumption.
The MoJS is, therefore, focusing on building awareness and encouraging behavioural change, particularly among children. As part of this effort, water conservation initiatives have been launched across schools in Delhi, involving students in promoting responsible water use and conservation practices. The initiative is expected to be expanded to schools across the country over the coming months. By engaging children as agents of change, the programme seeks to foster greater awareness and promote sustainable water conservation practices from an early age.
Paving the way for a water-secure future
Going forward, India’s water strategy will prioritise conservation, efficient use, reuse and equitable access, with greater emphasis on rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge, decentralised storage and efficient use of existing resources.
River linking, with due consideration of environmental, social and interstate concerns, can help redress water scarcity in a sustainable manner.
Expanding tap water access is being accompanied by stronger water quality monitoring, while treated wastewater reuse and pollution prevention are planned to be scaled up. Above all, community participation and behavioural change are essential to make water conservation a sustained public movement and ensure long-term water security.
“The Har Ghar Jal initiative of the JJM has substantially expanded access to piped drinking water, with tap water connections now reaching over 160 million rural households.”
