Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0: First Regional Conference in Tiruchirappalli

Union Jal Shakti Minister C. R. Paatil addressed the first Regional Conference on Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 at Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. The two-day conference has been organised by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation along with the Government of Tamil Nadu.

Who is taking part

Senior officials and representatives of seven southern States and Union Territories - Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Puducherry and Lakshadweep - are reviewing progress, raising difficulties and working on steadier rural drinking water services. The Secretary of the Department said this is the first of five regional conferences planned to turn the decisions of the Departmental Summit on Water, held on 1 and 2 September 2026, into action on the ground.

What the Minister said

Recalling that the Mission was launched in 2019 to take tap water to every rural home, Mr Paatil said household tap connections have reached close to 16 crore rural households, easing life especially for women. He asked States to finish the remaining work within the approved Mission timeline of December 2028, and to try for December 2027 wherever it can be done. He described JJM 2.0 as a shift from building infrastructure to assured service delivery, and pressed States to put in place the prescribed reforms on operation and maintenance, institutional accountability and long-term functionality. Groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting and community-led conservation, including Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari, were held up as the route to water security.

The priorities set out

• Source sustainability, sound operation and maintenance arrangements and financial sustainability of schemes.
• A skilled local workforce, with training and certification of village-level functionaries.
• Gram Panchayat-led water governance, with drinking water written into Gram Panchayat Development Plans and Finance Commission grants put to use.
• Digital monitoring through platforms such as Sujalam Bharat, and inter-ministerial convergence with PM-JANMAN, Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan and rural development programmes.

Technology on show

The National Institute of Ocean Technology presented its indigenous Low Temperature Thermal Desalination technology, with eight plants already set up in Lakshadweep to supply safe drinking water with little harm to the environment, along with an Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion project that joins renewable power generation to desalination for island water security. Each of the seven States and Union Territories also presented its achievements, challenges and time-bound action plans, covering geo-tagging of water supply assets, Jal Arpan and Har Ghar Jal certification and community participation.