Community participation drives rural drinking water success under Jal Jeevan Mission

March 13, 2026 5:05 PM

Community participation drives rural drinking water success under Jal Jeevan Mission

Community participation by panchayat leaders, frontline workers, volunteers and technical staff is playing a crucial role in sustaining rural drinking water systems under the Jal Jeevan Mission, according to the Ministry of Jal Shakti. Launched in August 2019, the mission aims to provide every rural household with safe and adequate drinking water through a Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC). At the start of the programme, only 3.23 crore rural households had tap water connections. As of...

IISc scientists develop siphon-powered desalination breakthrough to turn seawater into drinking water

September 29, 2025 7:44 PM

IISc scientists develop siphon-powered desalination breakthrough to turn seawater into drinking water

In a boost to global water security, researchers at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) have developed a siphon-powered thermal desalination system that converts seawater into clean drinking water faster, cheaper, and more efficiently than conventional methods. Traditional solar stills, which replicate the natural water cycle, often face two challenges — salt buildup on evaporator surfaces and scaling limits that restrict water flow to just 10–15 cm. The IISc team has overcome both issue...