India Showcases Jal Jeevan Mission Success to Sri Lankan Parliamentary Delegation

In a significant step toward strengthening regional cooperation in water management and sanitation, India hosted a high-level parliamentary delegation from Sri Lanka, offering a detailed showcase of its flagship programmes—Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission–Grameen (SBM-G)—as globally scalable models for rural transformation.

The delegation, led by Shri S.M. Marikkar, Chairman of Sri Lanka's Sectoral Oversight Committee on Infrastructure and Strategic Development, is on a week-long study tour to India aimed at understanding best practices in infrastructure and public service delivery.

The session was facilitated by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, and attended by senior officials including Secretary Shri Ashok K. K. Meena and Additional Secretary & Mission Director Shri Kamal Kishore Soan.

India's Decentralised Model: A Blueprint for Grassroots Governance

Addressing the delegation, Shri Meena emphasized India's governance philosophy of empowering local bodies—particularly Gram Panchayats—to deliver essential services, supported by central and state-level frameworks.

He outlined four foundational pillars behind the success of India's rural water and sanitation programmes:

• Decentralisation and community ownership, enabling local management of services

• Inter-departmental convergence at the grassroots level

• Technology-driven transparency, including real-time monitoring and grievance redressal

• Sustainability-focused design, incorporating rainwater harvesting, greywater reuse, and circular economy principles

Jal Jeevan Mission: From 17% to 82% Coverage in Five Years

India's Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in 2019, has emerged as one of the world's largest rural drinking water programmes.

Key achievements highlighted during the presentation include:

• Rural tap water coverage increased from 17% in 2019 to 82% in 2026

• Over 15 crore rural households now have Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs)

• Financial outlay expanded from $55 billion to nearly $92 billion

The mission is built on five strategic pillars:

• Political commitment

• Adequate financing

• Partnerships

• People's participation (Jan Bhagidari)

• Convergence with local governance systems

JJM 2.0: A Shift from Infrastructure to Sustainability

Officials highlighted the recently approved JJM 2.0, extending the mission till December 2028, marking a shift toward long-term sustainability.

Key reforms include:

• Focus on operations and maintenance (O&M) rather than just infrastructure creation

• Establishment of the Sujalam Bharat national asset registry for digital monitoring

• Ensuring 30-year sustainability of rural water systems

• Strengthening institutional structures at district and village levels

Swachh Bharat Mission–Grameen: From ODF to ODF Plus

India's sanitation journey under SBM-G was also presented as a global success story.

Major milestones include:

• Achieving 100% Open Defecation Free (ODF) status by 2019

• Construction of over 12 crore individual household toilets

• Development of 2.72 lakh community sanitary complexes

The mission has now transitioned to Phase II (ODF Plus), focusing on:

• Solid and liquid waste management

• Sustained behavioural change through IEC campaigns

• Creation of "Model Villages" with comprehensive sanitation systems

Sri Lanka Raises Water Quality and Cost Concerns

During the interactive session, Sri Lankan delegates highlighted critical challenges faced in their country, including:

• High levels of heavy metals, particularly mercury contamination in water bodies

• Rising costs of water purification systems

• Inefficiencies due to multi-purpose use of treated drinking water

They emphasized the need for affordable and scalable technologies for heavy metal removal and called for collaborative innovation with Indian institutions.

Scope for India–Sri Lanka Collaboration

India's experience offers a replicable framework for Sri Lanka and other developing nations, particularly in:

• Community-led water governance

• Low-cost sanitation solutions

• Technology-enabled monitoring systems

• Sustainable water management practices

Officials from DDWS expressed willingness to share cost-effective solutions and technical expertise, paving the way for deeper bilateral cooperation.

A Model for Global South Cooperation

In her concluding remarks, Smt. Swati Meena Naik, Joint Secretary (Water), DDWS, underscored India's progress and the importance of knowledge sharing and partnerships.

The engagement reflects India's broader strategy of positioning its flagship programmes as global public policy models, especially for countries in the Global South facing similar infrastructure and resource challenges.

The Bigger Picture

With water security and sanitation emerging as critical global challenges, India's large-scale, community-driven approach demonstrates how policy innovation, public participation, and technology integration can deliver transformative outcomes.

As nations seek sustainable and cost-effective solutions, India's experience under JJM and SBM-G is increasingly being viewed as a benchmark for inclusive and scalable development.