Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu joined a live programme on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Government of Arunachal Pradesh under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0, marking a formal commitment to strengthen drinking water delivery across the state. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Minister for Jal Shakti C. R. Patil and Minister of State V. S. Somanna, with Arunachal Pradesh PHED Minister Mama Natung also in attendance.

Context

Chief Minister Khandu described the development as 'a significant step towards strengthening drinking water services and ensuring long-term water security across Arunachal Pradesh.' The MoU formalises the state's participation in the next phase of the centrally-driven water mission, tying state delivery infrastructure to national programme guidelines and funding frameworks. The signing was conducted as a live event, with both Union and state-level ministers participating to signal the programme's priority status.

Policy Backdrop

The Jal Jeevan Mission was launched in August 2019 under the Ministry of Jal Shakti with the objective of providing functional household tap water connections to every rural home in India. It subsumed the earlier National Rural Drinking Water Programme, which had operated since 2009. Successive phases have shifted emphasis from simply creating new connections toward ensuring source sustainability, service reliability, and operation-and-maintenance systems — areas that the JJM 2.0 framework is designed to address.

Arunachal Pradesh, a northeastern frontier state with a predominantly tribal population and difficult mountainous terrain, has historically faced chronic challenges in delivering piped drinking water to remote villages. Dedicated funding tranches under JJM have been directed at northeastern states to help overcome geographical and logistical barriers that standard infrastructure timelines do not account for.

Stakeholders and Impact

The primary beneficiaries of the MoU are rural and tribal households across Arunachal Pradesh who currently lack reliable access to safe tap water. Chief Minister Khandu stated the agreement 'will help address water scarcity, improve service delivery systems, and further the Prime Minister's vision of a Viksit Bharat with safe and reliable tap water for every home.' The PHED — the Public Health Engineering Department — will be the nodal state agency responsible for on-ground implementation, with Minister Mama Natung overseeing execution.

The agreement also carries significance for tribal communities in border districts, where water access intersects with broader development and connectivity goals outlined under the Viksit Bharat framework targeting 2047. Improved water infrastructure in these areas is expected to reduce the burden on women and children who travel long distances to collect water in hilly terrain.

What's Next

With the MoU now in place, attention will shift to state-level implementation: drawing up district-wise coverage plans, mobilising field teams, and establishing operation-and-maintenance mechanisms that keep connections functional beyond installation. Progress will be tracked against coverage and functionality metrics that the Union Ministry uses to assess state performance under JJM. Revised funding allocations in upcoming Union Budgets will determine the pace at which Arunachal Pradesh can scale delivery under the new agreement.

The MoU signals that both the Centre and the state government are aligned on prioritising drinking water security in one of India's most geographically challenging regions, with the political leadership of both sides present at the signing to underscore that commitment.