The Ministry of Jal Shakti is an institution under the Government of India, formed in May 2019 to address the country's escalating water challenges in an integrated manner. It was created by merging two existing ministries: the Ministry of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and the Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation. This consolidation aimed to ensure holistic governance across drinking water supply, sanitation, irrigation, and river rejuvenation, solving the problem of fragmented water management.
The Ministry functions through two key departments: the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation and the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation. Its mechanism involves strategic planning, policy formulation, and the implementation of major schemes. Key provisions and programs include the Jal Jeevan Mission (to provide functional household tap connections to rural households), the Namami Gange Programme (for Ganga rejuvenation and pollution abatement), and the Atal Bhujal Yojana (for community-led groundwater management).
The Ministry connects to several related institutions, such as the Central Water Commission (CWC), the Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), and the National Mission for Clean Ganga (NMCG), which act as its technical and implementing bodies. It also handles international water negotiations, including matters related to the Indus Waters Treaty. A recent change involves the restructuring of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) to focus on service delivery and structural reforms, with the Cabinet approving an enhanced outlay and an extension of the target for universal tap water connection to December 2028. Additionally, the Ministry amended the River Ganga (Rejuvenation, Protection and Management) Authorities Order, 2016, in August 2026, by revising the definition of the "active floodplain" and introducing new regulatory and warning zones, while removing the phrase "construction free zone" from certain provisions.