NEW DELHI, INDIA / RankWire.AI / – Prime Minister Narendra Modi has showcased India’s experience in water governance as a model for nations across the Global South, sharing an article on October 6 that details reforms initiated in Gujarat and their subsequent incorporation into national water strategies. He emphasized that water security involves more than just physical infrastructure, highlighting the importance of strategic planning, capable local systems, and active community participation as vital components of effective water management. The article frames India’s journey as a practical example for countries grappling with increasing demand and mounting pressure on water resources.
Tracing water governance developments over approximately 25 years, the article begins with reforms introduced in Gujarat during Modi’s tenure as chief minister and distills four key lessons for developing economies. These lessons include strengthening governance, managing water resources and services collaboratively, fostering community ownership, and planning at scale. The approach is built around a framework that emphasizes political leadership, public funding, partnerships, and public engagement. These ideas are linked to national initiatives encompassing drinking water, sanitation, groundwater management, river conservation, and water-use efficiency.
One indicator of the scale achieved by India’s national programs is the expansion of rural drinking-water access. Data from the Jal Jeevan Mission shows that approximately 15.91 crore rural households had tap-water connections as of August 10, 2026, compared to about 3.23 crore households when the program launched in 2019. The focus of the scheme is on providing functional household tap connections to rural families, with recent phases emphasizing service quality, reliability, and sustainable maintenance over mere infrastructure development.
Jal Jeevan Mission Advances Toward Service-Oriented Goals
In March 2026, the Union Cabinet approved Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, extending its scope through December 2028. The revised plan allocates a total budget of ₹8.69 lakh crore, which includes ₹3.59 lakh crore in central assistance, with a renewed emphasis on delivering dependable, adequate, and safe drinking water to rural households. States and union territories are required to develop integrated reform plans covering implementation, financing, and monitoring, with a specific focus on maintaining operational systems and ensuring long-term service sustainability beyond infrastructure construction.
Among the new features is Sujalam Bharat, a digital platform designed to map rural piped-water networks from source to household tap, assigning each village a unique service-area identity. This system aims to enhance planning, asset management, and accountability across drinking-water schemes. Additionally, community institutions continue to play a role in the operational framework, with village-level bodies and local governments involved in managing systems, monitoring service quality, and supporting maintenance within the broader rural water initiative.
Community Involvement Remains Essential in Water Management
The article shared by Modi underscores the importance of integrated water resource and service management, advocating that infrastructure planning must consider the long-term availability of water feeding those systems. It also emphasizes the significance of local participation, including institutions capable of overseeing village-level water services. This holistic approach is reflected in current national reforms, which link service delivery with governance, digital monitoring, and local management, forming the core of India’s current message on water governance for other developing nations.
India’s strategy does not rely on a single program but combines rural tap-water expansion with groundwater management, sanitation, conservation, and river-cleaning initiatives. The article presents this integrated approach as a set of lessons rather than a universal blueprint for other countries. Modi’s October 6 remarks reiterated that water security depends on institutions and communities as well as infrastructure. India’s latest reforms continue to advance this philosophy by pairing significant public investments with local management, digital oversight, and standards for service delivery.