India's water management becomes an ideal model for developing nations

India's water management efforts have emerged as a model for developing countries. In response to a question asked by PTI, Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director of the Water Department at the World Bank Group, stated that India's efforts to increase drinking water facilities, restore rivers, and strengthen dam safety are a significant success story.

World Bank official Saroj Kumar Jha said during a virtual press briefing that India's journey in the water sector is one that every developing country would want to witness. He added that the work carried out by India at both state and central government levels in this sector is truly remarkable. India possesses solutions that other countries are currently attempting to find, and therefore, India can share these experiences with other nations.

Referring to the Jal Jeevan Mission, Jha said that providing improved drinking water facilities to 80 crore people in less than seven years is an extraordinary achievement. The scale of India's efforts to improve drinking water facilities in urban and rural areas is unprecedented. This programme is now continuously evolving, with a greater emphasis on sustainability, performance, and maintenance.

The impact of India's Swachh Bharat Mission is being observed globally. Jha noted that India's Swachh Bharat Mission influenced Nigeria's 'Clean Nigeria' campaign. Many southern nations are looking at the Jal Jeevan Mission as a good model featuring community participation, strong government leadership, and adequate financial arrangements at all levels.

In the context of rivers, he praised the Namami Gange programme. He stated that this initiative has been remarkably successful in reducing pollution in the Ganga river and improving the overall health of the river. The National Mission for Clean Ganga has been supported by the World Bank through various financial instruments. Jha further added that rivers are not just rivers, but are part of our civilisation and human systems, and people depend on rivers for their livelihoods.

Speaking on dam safety, he stated that World Bank funding has helped India improve the resilience of approximately 900 dams. Along with this, Centres of Excellence have also been established in the country to enhance technical expertise. He also praised India's urban water management efforts, specifically noting the attempts to encourage municipalities to utilise capital markets.

These details were provided ahead of the United Nations Water Conference to be held in 2026. This conference will be co-hosted by the United Arab Emirates and Senegal and will take place in Abu Dhabi from 8 to 10 December. World leaders and policymakers will gather at this conference to strengthen international cooperation on water security and sanitation. Stefanie Rammler, Senior Sustainable Development Officer at the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, also stated that India is very active in the preparations for this conference.

Jha acknowledged that India still faces challenges and much work remains to be done.