Union Budget: ₹74,000 crore allocated for drinking water, sanitation

The Centre has allocated ₹74,226 crore for the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation in the Union Budget 2025-26, with most of it allotted to the Jal Jeevan Mission which aims to provide tap water connections to rural households.

The allocation marked a substantial rise from the revised estimates of ₹29,916 crore for 2024-25 for the department.

However, the allocation is lower than the ₹77,390.68 crore originally earmarked for the department in the Budget for 2024-25.

The Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has been allocated ₹25,276.83 crore, an increase from ₹21,640.88 crore from the revised estimates.

Under the Namami Gange Mission-II, ₹3,400 crore has been earmarked for cleaning and rejuvenating the river, up from ₹3,000 crore last year.

Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), the flagship programme of the Centre aimed at providing tap water connections to every rural household, has been allocated ₹67,000 crore, marking a significant increase from the revised estimates of ₹22,694 crore in 2024-25.

The focus remains on service delivery, ensuring regular and quality water supply.

Presenting her eighth consecutive budget, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said that under JJM, 15 crore households, representing 80 per cent of India's rural population, have been provided access to potable tap water.

"To achieve 100 per cent coverage, I am pleased to announce extension of this mission till 2028 with an enhanced total outlay," she said.

The finance minister added that the mission's focus will be on quality of infrastructure and operation and maintenance of rural piped water supply schemes through the Jan Bhagidari scheme.

"Separate MoUs will be signed with states and UTs to ensure sustainable and citizen-centric water services delivery," she said.

Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin), which aims to sustain open defecation free (ODF) status and implement solid and liquid waste management systems in villages, has been allocated ₹7,192 crore, the same as previous year.

Other key allocations include ₹80 crore for information, education, and communication (IEC) efforts under JJM, ₹13.50 crore for mission management, and ₹89.53 crore for the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation (SPM-NIWAS).

Additionally, the government has introduced a provision of ₹341.70 crore for the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), a scheme focused on providing water and sanitation facilities to the most vulnerable tribal communities.

The Budget also allocated ₹5,936 crore for the Polavaram irrigation project, which aims to provide drinking water and irrigation facilities in Andhra Pradesh.

Other key projects include ₹1,780 crore for Atal Bhujal Yojana, a groundwater management scheme, and ₹509 crore for groundwater regulation efforts.