India showcases rural water, sanitation model to Sri Lankan MPs
India on Thursday presented its rural drinking water and sanitation framework to a visiting Sri Lankan parliamentary delegation, underlining the scale and evolution of two flagship programmes — the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen (SBM-G).
The delegation, led by Sri Lankan MP S.M. Marikkar, is on a week-long study tour focused on infrastructure and strategic development. During a session organised by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), officials highlighted India’s decentralised approach, where the Centre and states design large programmes while implementation is driven at the level of Gram Panchayats.
Officials said the Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in 2019, has significantly expanded rural tap water access — from 17 per cent coverage at the time of launch to about 82 per cent now, covering over 15 crore households. With the Cabinet recently clearing an extension of the scheme till 2028 under JJM 2.0, the focus is shifting from infrastructure creation to long-term operations, sustainability, and community participation.
The Sri Lankan side was also briefed on the Swachh Bharat Mission-Grameen, which began in 2014 with the aim of eliminating open defecation. Officials said the programme achieved nationwide ODF status by October 2019, backed by the construction of more than 12 crore household toilets. The ongoing second phase is aimed at sustaining these gains through solid and liquid waste management and pushing villages towards ODF Plus status.
In the interaction, Sri Lankan MPs flagged concerns over heavy metal contamination in water sources, including mercury, and the high cost of treatment. They noted that treated water in Sri Lanka is often used for multiple household purposes, increasing the financial burden, and called for affordable purification technologies and closer cooperation with India.
Further, the DDWS officials stressed that continued engagement and knowledge sharing between the two countries could help address common challenges in water management and sanitation.
