Ministry of Jal Shakti Organizes 13th District Collectors' Peyjal Samvad
The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, organized the 13th edition of the District Collectors' Peyjal Samvad on October 15, 2026, through video conferencing. The meeting brought together senior officials, District Collectors/District Magistrates, and Mission Directors of States/UTs to accelerate implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 and share best practices.
Key Directives from DDWS Leadership
Shri Ashok K.K. Meena, Secretary, DDWS, emphasized the platform's role in peer learning and addressing implementation challenges in rural drinking water service delivery. He stressed the pivotal role of District Collectors in strengthening local water governance, ensuring effective operation and maintenance of rural water supply systems, and promoting community ownership of assets created under the Mission.
Secretary Meena directed districts to ensure regular monthly meetings of District Water and Sanitation Missions (DWSMs) and timely uploading of meeting minutes on the DWSM Portal for transparency and accountability. He highlighted findings from Jal Seva Aankalan, urging districts to regularly review functionality assessment reports and district improvement plans available on the dashboard.
Noting that water quality and energy-related disruptions continue to affect service delivery, Meena called upon States and districts to explore solarisation of rural water supply schemes for improving reliability and operational efficiency. He emphasized effective utilization of the Decision Support System (DSS), which integrates groundwater, rainfall, hydrological and Jal Jeevan Mission data for evidence-based planning and source sustainability planning.
Meena also urged districts to leverage convergence opportunities under VB-G RAM G and other programmes for groundwater recharge, source protection and water conservation measures in vulnerable areas. He emphasized retaining Jal Arpan certificates in local languages through the Jal Arpan Module after formal handover of drinking water supply schemes.
Shri Kamal Kishore Soan, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), underscored the importance of strengthening grassroots institutions for long-term sustainability. He highlighted the need for systematic training and capacity building of Gram Panchayats, Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), Panchayat Secretaries and Sujalam Shakti Groups for operation and maintenance of drinking water infrastructure.
Soan encouraged districts to provide exposure visits for higher-secondary and senior school students to multi-village water supply schemes, water treatment facilities, laboratories and SCADA-enabled systems to develop deeper understanding of water infrastructure among young citizens.
Shri Y.K. Singh, Director (NJJM), presented on the Jal Arpan module, highlighting its importance in formal commissioning and handover of rural drinking water supply schemes to Gram Panchayats and communities. He explained key stages of Jal Arpan preparedness, reporting and monitoring framework through DTU/DWSSM dashboard, and digital workflow for Jal Arpan and Har Ghar Jal certification.
District Best Practices Presentations
Five districts presented their progress and innovative field practices:
Kanpur Nagar, Uttar Pradesh - District Magistrate Sh. Mahender Singh Tanwar highlighted efforts in strengthening service delivery through regular review meetings, inter-departmental coordination and community participation. The district has undertaken extensive IEC activities involving schools, sports clubs and social media platforms to promote awareness on water conservation and water quality. Community-based water quality surveillance is being strengthened through trained women volunteers using Field Test Kits, with regular laboratory testing and quality audits. The district showcased technology-driven monitoring including SCADA-based systems, digital grievance redressal platforms, and Jal Saarthi application for service monitoring, along with GIS-based mapping of drinking water assets.
West Tripura, Tripura - District Magistrate Dr. Vishal Kumar focused on strengthening community ownership through active involvement of Gram Panchayats, Self-Help Groups and local communities. The district has made significant progress in user-charge collection and undertaken extensive capacity-building programmes for Gram Panchayats on operation and maintenance. SHGs are playing important roles in awareness generation, community mobilisation and social audit activities. The district emphasizes source sustainability through catchment protection, afforestation, rooftop rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge and greywater management interventions, supported by scientific source mapping and Village Water Security Plans.
Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu - District Collector Tmt. R. Revathi showcased innovative practices in strengthening drinking water security through scientific planning and technology-led interventions. The district has undertaken village-level water budgeting exercises to assess present and future water demand, identify groundwater stress and guide investments in recharge measures. Community participation has been central with Gram Panchayats and VWSCs actively involved. The district has promoted groundwater recharge, rooftop rainwater harvesting, rejuvenation of water bodies and micro-irrigation measures. Advanced technologies include IoT-enabled real-time monitoring systems, digital dashboards, smart flow-monitoring mechanisms, and low-cost water disinfection systems.
Bargarh, Odisha - District Magistrate Sh. Aditya Goyal shared a structured three-stage framework covering execution, commissioning and operation & maintenance of rural water supply projects. Strong inter-departmental coordination has helped resolve issues relating to land, power supply, forest clearances and right-of-way permissions. The district has institutionalised monthly review mechanisms and community participation during commissioning to identify issues such as leakages and unauthorized connections. Bargarh has strengthened service delivery through proactive grievance redressal, regular field inspections and periodic water quality monitoring, achieving reliable water supply through large multi-village schemes including round-the-clock supply to IIM Sambalpur.
Palamu, Jharkhand - District Magistrate Sh. Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat highlighted robust monitoring mechanisms including regular review meetings, dedicated district control room and grievance redressal systems. Capacity building of VWSCs and community-level institutions is being undertaken for effective operation and maintenance. The district showcased innovative approaches for source sustainability including convergence with MGNREGA for groundwater recharge and rainwater harvesting works, IoT-enabled monitoring systems for real-time supervision, and community-based water quality surveillance through Jal Sahiyas, Anganwadi Workers and Health Sahiyas. The Jalkar Bhugtan Abhiyan initiative strengthens user-charge collection for sustainable operation and maintenance.