Ministry of Jal Shakti Organizes 11th Sujal Gram Samvad on Rural Water Management
The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, organized the 11th edition of the multilingual 'Sujal Gram Samvad' on September 29, 2026, providing a platform for direct interaction with Gram Panchayat representatives and local communities on operation and maintenance of rural drinking water systems. The event reinforces the government's commitment to community-led water governance under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0.
The Samvad was chaired by Shri Ashok K.K. Meena, Secretary of DDWS, along with Shri Kamal Kishore Soan, AS&MD of NJJM, and senior officers from the department. In his address, Secretary Meena underscored the critical role of Gram Panchayats in ensuring sustainability and long-term functionality of rural drinking water systems, describing the platform as important for sharing innovations and good practices from grassroots levels. He emphasized the constitutional mandate of Panchayati Raj Institutions in the drinking water sector and stressed the need for greater ownership of operation and maintenance by Gram Panchayats, including strengthening user-charge collection mechanisms, improving financial sustainability of water supply schemes, and undertaking source sustainability measures such as groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting.
The virtual Samvad featured grassroots interactions across four Gram Panchayat headquarters villages with diverse participants including GP representatives, Village Water & Sanitation Committee members, Jal Sahiyas, Anganwadi workers, students, teachers, frontline functionaries, JJM State Mission Directors, District Collectors, and state officials. The discussions focused on key aspects of sustainable rural water service delivery including uninterrupted operation of water supply schemes, skilling of local operators, water quality and disinfection, community participation in O&M, financial sustainability through user charges, source protection, and the impact of reliable drinking water on health, education, women's empowerment, and local livelihoods.
Case Studies from Participating Gram Panchayats
Sakaria Gram Panchayat, Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh: Representatives shared that prior to the mission, villagers depended on wells and tube wells for drinking water, but now every household has access to piped drinking water achieving Har Ghar Jal status. The community organized Jal Arpan on March 16, 2026, and collects ₹150 per month as user charges through digital platforms, with regular weekly water quality testing and trained local operators supporting smooth operation.
Dashinpara Gram Panchayat, Alipurduar, West Bengal: Representatives interacted in Nepali and reported that tap water now reaches every household, school, and Anganwadi center, resulting in significant improvements in convenience, health, and quality of life. The Anganwadi worker highlighted reduced water-borne illnesses and improved nutrition support, while the Village Pradhan emphasized the role of Pani Samiti in water quality monitoring and community mobilization with active women participation.
Gorabali South Gram Panchayat, Bokaro, Jharkhand: Village representatives highlighted the transformational impact of Jal Jeevan Mission, particularly the success of the Jal Sahiya model where women lead community mobilization, user-charge collection, grievance redressal, and awareness generation. The Panchayat collects regular user charges utilized locally for O&M, conducts water quality testing through FTKs, and holds active Gram Sabha discussions on source sustainability.
Partapur Gram Panchayat, Nubra, Ladakh: Representatives shared that accessing drinking water during harsh winter months was extremely difficult before the mission, requiring travel to distant sources or using melted snow. Now water supply continues even at temperatures of minus 30 degrees Celsius due to appropriate engineering measures, with safe drinking water available in schools and public institutions throughout the year.
Official Recommendations and Future Directions
District and state officials emphasized the importance of sustaining service delivery through strong O&M systems, source sustainability measures, and effective utilization of available resources. AS&MD, NJJM Kamal Kishore Soan encouraged Gram Panchayats to leverage the e-Gram Swaraj portal for planning and monitoring expenditure and effectively use 16th Finance Commission tied grants for strengthening drinking water infrastructure. He suggested states prepare simplified O&M Manuals in local languages to enable better understanding of responsibilities and emphasized utilizing the 2 October Gram Sabha for promoting water conservation, drinking water security, and community awareness. States were also encouraged to organize Jal Arpan programmes in villages that have completed Har Ghar Jal certification.