Government to Develop GIS Platform for Monitoring Rural Water and Sanitation Schemes
SDG 6: Clean Water & Sanitation | SDG 9: Industry, Innovation & Infrastructure
Institutions: Ministry of Jal Shakti | Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology
The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti has partnered with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) to build a new digital platform that will use GIS technology to track and improve the progress of Indiaβs rural water and sanitation missions. A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed to create this decision-support system for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and the sanitation projects under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen).
The platform will help officials see and analyse real-time data on water and sanitation projects across villages: for example, the location of rural water supply schemes or which households are receiving piped water. It will assign unique digital IDs to every project, allowing for closer monitoring, easier planning, and faster response to bottlenecks.
Developed with support from BISAG-N, the system will include advanced mapping, data migration, and integration tools and will be linked to the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan. This will allow rural water and sanitation assets to be viewed alongside other infrastructure such as roads, schools, or power lines, helping improve coordination and avoid duplication.
This collaboration strengthens the digital governance architecture of flagship rural missions. By linking geospatial intelligence with on-ground monitoring, India can track infrastructure creation, service delivery, and sustainability outcomes with higher precision - a model for other social sector schemes seeking real-time, GIS-enabled oversight.
What is BISAG-N?
The Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) is an autonomous scientific society under the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY). It provides geospatial and ICT-based solutions for planning, monitoring, and governance across sectors including agriculture, rural development, and infrastructure.
What is the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM)?
The Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in 2019 by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, aims to provide every rural household in India with safe and adequate tap water supply by 2024. It focuses on building village-level infrastructure for piped water connections, ensuring water quality, and promoting community management of water resources. JJM represents a shift from infrastructure-creation alone to service delivery, emphasising sustainability, grey-water reuse, and village water-safety planning.
What is the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen)?
The Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) β or SBM-G β was launched in 2014 to make rural India open-defecation free (ODF) and improve overall sanitation. Its first phase focused on building household toilets; the second phase (2020-25) advances this goal by sustaining ODF status, promoting solid and liquid waste management, and ensuring clean, healthy villages. Implemented by the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, SBM-G ties sanitation outcomes to dignity, public health, and environmental sustainability.
Relevant Question for Policy Stakeholders:
How can India expand GIS-based convergence tools like the DDWSβBISAG-N platform to ensure every rural service scheme is monitored through integrated, data-driven systems?
Follow the full release here: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2175369