Reinforcing the government’s commitment to community-led water governance under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, organised the 11th edition of the multilingual ‘Sujal Gram Samvad’ today.
Chaired by Ashok K.K. Meena, Secretary, DDWS, in the presence of Additional Secretary & Mission Director (NJJM) Kamal Kishore Soan and senior departmental officers, the virtual dialogue served as a direct platform for interaction with Gram Panchayat (GP) representatives and local communities regarding the operation and maintenance (O&M) of rural drinking water systems.
Empowering Grassroots Governance
Secretary Ashok K.K. Meena underscored that the long-term functionality and sustainability of rural drinking water infrastructure depend heavily on the active involvement of Gram Panchayats.
He highlighted that elected representatives, Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), and local communities are vital to ensuring regular, safe, and reliable water services for every rural household.
Stressing the constitutional mandate of Panchayati Raj Institutions in water delivery, Meena called for:
- Strengthening user-charge collection mechanisms to improve the financial self-sufficiency of water supply schemes.
- Undertaking active groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting, and local watershed protection.
- Effectively utilising State O&M frameworks, e-Gram Swaraj planning portals, and 16th Finance Commission-tied grants.
Grassroots Success Stories Across India
The 11th edition featured multilingual interactions across four diverse Gram Panchayat headquarters, highlighting the transformational impact of piped water supply:
- Sakaria (Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh): Villagers shared that, by moving away from dependence on legacy tube wells, the village achieved Har Ghar Jal status with a fully functioning digital billing model, collecting Rs 150 monthly per household for maintenance alongside weekly water quality testing.
- Dashinpara (Alipurduar, West Bengal): Interacting in Nepali, Panchayat leaders noted how tap water reaching schools, Anganwadis, and homes has slashed water-borne illnesses and eased the daily burden on women, with Pani Samitis actively leading water quality monitoring.
- Gorabali South (Bokaro, Jharkhand): Local representatives lauded the transformative Jal Sahiya model, where women spearhead community mobilisation, user-fee collection, and field test kit (FTK) water quality assessments.
- Partapur (Nubra, Ladakh): Demonstrating climate-resilient engineering, community members confirmed that piped water supply remains fully operational even through freezing winters where temperatures drop to nearly minus 30 degrees Celsius.
Strategic Roadmap for JJM 2.0
Concluding the multilingual dialogue, AS&MD Kamal Kishore Soan urged States to prepare simplified O&M manuals in local languages to help Panchayat and VWSC members clearly understand their management duties. He also encouraged communities to leverage the upcoming Oct 2 Gram Sabha meetings to spearhead water conservation, sanitation drives, and Jal Arpan celebrations for completed Har Ghar Jal infrastructure.
