Ministry
Ministry of Jal Shakti
The Ministry of Jal Shakti is the Union government's single seat of power over water in India, formed in May 2019 by merging the water-resources and drinking-water ministries. It runs the country's largest rural water programme, the Jal Jeevan Mission, and owns the Ganga clean-up (Namami Gange), inter-state river management and the interlinking-of-rivers agenda. Through its two departments it commands roughly a lakh crore rupees of annual spending on water.
Updated
- Headquarters
- Shram Shakti Bhawan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi
- Departments
- Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR); Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS)
- Budget 2025-26
- ~₹99,503 crore combined (DDWS ₹74,226 cr; DoWR ₹25,277 cr)
- Signature statistic
- 15.72 crore rural households (~81%) with tap connections under JJM, as of 22 Oct 2025
Role
The Ministry of Jal Shakti is the Union government’s consolidated authority over water. Created in May 2019 by merging the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation with the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, it runs through two departments: the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR RD&GR), which handles irrigation, groundwater, inter-state river disputes, river boards, the interlinking of rivers and the Ganga clean-up; and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), which runs the Jal Jeevan Mission for rural piped water and the rural arm of the Swachh Bharat Mission. Its subordinate bodies include the Central Water Commission and the Central Ground Water Board.
Water sits at the intersection of the Union and the states — irrigation and water supply are state subjects, while inter-state rivers and dispute adjudication fall to the Centre — which makes this ministry a coordinator and financier as much as an implementer. It disburses central assistance on a cost-sharing basis (from 100% for Union Territories down to 50:50 for most states), sets national norms such as the 55-litre-per-capita-per-day drinking-water standard, and adjudicates river-water disputes through tribunals. Its command over roughly a lakh crore rupees of annual spending and over flagship programmes like the Jal Jeevan Mission, Namami Gange and the Ken-Betwa link makes it one of the government’s largest infrastructure and welfare seats of power.
Desk maintained by IndiaStand editorial cycles. Officeholders are transient; this dossier tracks the institution.
Timeline since 1947
- reference
Central Water Commission established
The apex technical body for water-resource development is established as the Central Waterways, Irrigation and Navigation Commission; it is renamed the Central Water Commission in 1974 and is today a subordinate office of the ministry.
- reference
Ministry of Water Resources created
The Union government carves out a dedicated water-resources ministry from the earlier irrigation and power portfolios.
- reference
National Ganga River Basin Authority constituted after Ganga declared a National River
Following the declaration of the Ganga as a National River in November 2008, the Centre constitutes the National Ganga River Basin Authority under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, giving the water ministry a basin-wide planning and financing body rather than a city-by-city sewage programme.
- reference
National Water Policy 2012 adopted by the National Water Resources Council
The policy frames water as an economic good beyond a basic minimum quantity, proposes a national legal framework for water and pushes river-basin-level management, setting the doctrinal basis for later Union water legislation.
- reference
Namami Gange launched
The integrated Ganga-rejuvenation programme is launched with an initial ₹20,000 crore outlay, run by the National Mission for Clean Ganga.
- reference
Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) launched under the drinking-water ministry
The rural sanitation mission is launched with a target of eliminating open defecation by October 2019; it becomes the largest programme of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, which is folded into Jal Shakti in 2019.
- reference
Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana launched with a five-year outlay
PMKSY is launched as an umbrella irrigation programme with an outlay of about 50,000 crore rupees over five years; the water-resources department owns its two largest components, the Accelerated Irrigation Benefits Programme and Har Khet Ko Pani.
- reference
NMCG reconstituted as an authority; National Ganga Council replaces the NGRBA
The River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order dissolves the NGRBA and vests the National Mission for Clean Ganga with powers under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, including the power to issue directions and impose penalties, under a new National Ganga Council.
- reference
Cauvery Water Management Authority constituted after the Supreme Court award
Acting on the Supreme Court's February 2018 judgment modifying the Cauvery tribunal award, the water ministry notifies a scheme creating the Cauvery Water Management Authority and a Regulation Committee to supervise releases between the basin states.
- reference
Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal delivers its award
The tribunal, constituted by the ministry in 2010 under the Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956, apportions Mahadayi basin water between Goa, Karnataka and Maharashtra; the award is contested by the basin states before the Supreme Court.
- reference
Ministry of Jal Shakti formed
The Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation is merged with the Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation into a single water ministry.
- reference
Jal Shakti Abhiyan launched in water-stressed districts
The new ministry's first campaign targets water conservation and rainwater harvesting in 256 water-stressed districts, run as a time-bound inter-departmental drive rather than a funded scheme.
- reference
Inter-State River Water Disputes (Amendment) Bill passed by Lok Sabha
The bill proposed replacing separate tribunals with a single standing tribunal and a Disputes Resolution Committee given one year to negotiate, and cutting the adjudication window to two years extendable by one; it was passed by the Lok Sabha but did not complete passage into law.
- reference
Jal Jeevan Mission launched
The mission is announced to provide a functional tap-water connection to every rural household, at 55 litres per capita per day, originally by 2024.
- reference
Atal Bhujal Yojana approved for groundwater-stressed districts
The Cabinet approves a 6,000 crore rupee groundwater management scheme, half financed by the World Bank, covering identified water-stressed blocks across seven states with community-level water budgeting as the disbursement trigger.
- reference
Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin Phase II approved with a 1.4 lakh crore outlay
Phase II is approved with an outlay of about 1,40,881 crore rupees for 2020-21 to 2024-25, shifting the mission from toilet construction to ODF-sustainability and solid and liquid waste management; the government had declared rural India open-defecation-free in October 2019, a claim contested by independent surveys.
- reference
Dam Safety Act passed by Parliament, creating national dam-safety authorities
Parliament clears the Dam Safety Bill, first passed by the Lok Sabha in August 2019 and by the Rajya Sabha on 2 December 2021, establishing a National Committee on Dam Safety and a National Dam Safety Authority plus state-level committees and organisations, and placing responsibility for safe construction and maintenance on dam owners.
- reference
Ken-Betwa Link Project approved by the Cabinet
The Cabinet approves India's first inter-state river-interlinking project under the National Perspective Plan at about 44,605 crore rupees, following a March 2021 agreement between the Centre, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh; the foundation stone follows in December 2024.
- official
Ken-Betwa link foundation stone laid
The foundation stone for India's first river-interlinking project under the National Perspective Plan is laid at Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh.
- official
JJM outlay enhanced and deadline extended to 2028 in Union Budget
The Union Budget 2025-26 enhances the Jal Jeevan Mission outlay to ₹67,000 crore and extends the mission's deadline to 2028.
- reference
Indus Waters Treaty held in abeyance
The Union government announces that the 1960 Indus Waters Treaty with Pakistan is held in abeyance, a decision that bears directly on the water ministry's reservoir operation and project planning on the Indus system; Pakistan disputes that the treaty permits unilateral suspension.
- official
Cabinet approves JJM 2.0
The Union Cabinet approves a restructured Jal Jeevan Mission shifting from infrastructure creation to service delivery, with the 'Sujalam Bharat' digital framework and a stated target of 19.36 crore rural households by December 2028.
Frequently asked
- What is Ministry of Jal Shakti?
- The Ministry of Jal Shakti is the Union government's single seat of power over water in India, formed in May 2019 by merging the water-resources and drinking-water ministries. It runs the country's largest rural water programme, the Jal Jeevan Mission, and owns the Ganga clean-up (Namami Gange), inter-state river management and the interlinking-of-rivers agenda. Through its two departments it commands roughly a lakh crore rupees of annual spending on water.
- When was Ministry of Jal Shakti established?
- Ministry of Jal Shakti was established 2019-05.
- What does Ministry of Jal Shakti do?
- Its remit covers Rural drinking-water supply through the Jal Jeevan Mission / Har Ghar Jal, Sanitation (Swachh Bharat Mission - Gramin), River conservation and Ganga rejuvenation (Namami Gange / National Mission for Clean Ganga), Inter-state river-water disputes, tribunals and river boards, Major and medium irrigation, groundwater and the interlinking of rivers, Central Water Commission and Central Ground Water Board oversight.
- What is the latest on Ministry of Jal Shakti?
- As of 2026-07-06: Cabinet approves JJM 2.0. The Union Cabinet approves a restructured Jal Jeevan Mission shifting from infrastructure creation to service delivery, with the 'Sujalam Bharat' digital framework and a stated target of 19.36 crore rural households by December 2028.
Official sources
The government's own pages for this institution — go straight to the primary.
-
Canonical ministry home; routes to its two constituent departments.
www.jalshakti.gov.in/
-
DoWR, RD & GR — schemes, dashboard, inter-state river water matters.
www.jalshakti-dowr.gov.in/
- Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation department
DDWS — rural drinking water (Jal Jeevan Mission) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
www.jalshakti-ddws.gov.in/
- Central Ground Water Board department
Subordinate office under DoWR; groundwater assessment, regulation via CGWA.
cgwb.gov.in/en
-
Live state/district/village tap-water coverage reporting.
ejalshakti.gov.in/jjmreport/jjmindia.aspx
- DDWS Annual Reports reports
Annual Reports 2019-20 through 2025-26 as PDFs.
www.jalshakti-ddws.gov.in/documents/reports/annual-reports-Q
- Inter-State River Water Disputes Act, 1956 legislation
Core Act administered by DoWR; bare act plus rules and tribunal notifications.
www.indiacode.nic.in/handle/123456789/1664?locale=en