International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

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From ARWSP to Jal Jeevan Mission: Tracing the Policy Evolution of Rural Drinking Water Supply in India (1972-2024)

Author(s) Ar. Vibha Joshi, Dr. Arun Patel
Country India
Abstract Access to safe and adequate drinking water is a fundamental public health requirement and a critical determinant of rural well-being in India. Despite possessing extensive surface and groundwater resources, spatial inequality, seasonal variability, groundwater depletion, and institutional fragmentation have historically constrained universal access to potable water in rural areas. In the early decades after Independence, rural water supply interventions were largely ad hoc, infrastructure-driven, and relief-oriented, offering limited long-term sustainability. Recognizing the strong interlinkages between drinking water access, sanitation, health outcomes, and rural livelihoods, the Government of India gradually evolved from supply-centric schemes to integrated, service-delivery-oriented water governance frameworks.
This review paper traces the historical evolution of rural drinking water policies in India, beginning with the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP, 1972), which focused on rapid coverage through handpumps and borewells, followed by the Sector Reform and Technology Mission (1990) that introduced principles of decentralisation, community participation, and cost sharing. The establishment of the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (1991) further institutionalised planning, quality monitoring, and technology adoption at the national level. These efforts were consolidated under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP, 2009), which emphasised service sustainability, source protection, water quality surveillance, and convergence with sanitation and health initiatives.
The paper further examines the transformative shift introduced by the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM, 2019), which redefined rural water supply through a household tap connection (Har Ghar Jal) approach, lifecycle service delivery, and decentralised governance via Village Water and Sanitation Committees. Special emphasis is placed on the role of the Integrated Management Information System (IMIS) under JJM in enabling real-time monitoring, transparency, and performance-based planning. The review contributes to a comprehensive understanding of how rural water supply schemes have evolved from infrastructure provision to integrated, community-driven, and data-enabled service delivery systems.
Keywords Rural drinking water supply, Sanitation in India, Government water policies, ARWSP, Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Integrated Management Information System (IMIS), Community participation, Sustainable water governance
Field Engineering
Published In Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On 2025-12-31
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.64795
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