Why states are now solely responsible for providing drinking water
The central government has paused its funding for the Jal Jeevan Mission after spending almost the entire ₹2.08 lakh crore budget.
Now, states are expected to finish bringing tap water to rural homes on their own, since water is considered a state issue.
What is the Jal Jeevan Mission?
JJM was launched in 2019 to give every rural household a working tap by 2024 (now pushed to 2028).
It's already reached over 157 million homes, but about 36 million still don't have access.
With federal allocations paused for 2025-26, allocations proposed in the 2026-27 Budget, and strict new rules for future money—which only covers maintenance, not new pipes—many water-stressed areas could struggle.
For a country where 600 million people face water shortages and JJM has helped prevent about 400,000 diarrhea deaths, this shift puts real pressure on states to keep clean water flowing.