The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, organized the eighth edition of the multilingual Sujal Gram Samvad to reinforce community-led water governance under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0. The event was chaired by Shri Kamal Kishore Soan, Additional Secretary & Mission Director of National Jal Jeevan Mission, with senior DDWS officers in attendance.

Participation and Scale

The virtual Samvad recorded over 3,000 participants across five Gram Panchayat headquarters villages from four states and one Union Territory. Participants included GP representatives, Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) members, Jal Doots, Anganwadi workers, students, women trained on water quality, frontline functionaries, JJM State Mission Directors, District Collectors/Magistrates/Deputy Commissioners, DWSM officials, and state officers. Interactions were conducted in regional languages including Assamese, Kannada, Haryanvi, Bengali, and Hindi.

Key Policy Directives

Shri Kamal Kishore Soan highlighted that over 6 lakh villages are now covered under Jal Jeevan Mission since 2019, achieved through active participation of Panchayats, Gram Sabhas, Self-Help Groups, and Nal Jal Mitras. He emphasized that drinking-water systems are designed to serve communities for 25-30 years, requiring focus on source sustainability, operation and maintenance, prevention of water wastage, and local capacity building. With the conclusion of the 15th Finance Commission grant period in March 2026, he urged all GPs and district officials to prepare Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) by August 15, 2026, as this is a primary condition for accessing funds under the 16th Finance Commission.

State-Level Implementations

GP-Murrorbori, Morigaon, Assam

SHG workers reported routine water-quality monitoring using Field Testing Kits (FTKs), community meetings to review results, and timely submission of findings to Sahayak. Regular coordination meetings involve Panchayat president, school teacher, VWSC and GPDC members to resolve local issues. District and state officials emphasized timely completion of District Improvement Plans and GPDPs.

GP-Dodda Jala, Urban Bengaluru, Karnataka

All households have Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) with adequate quantity and quality. A monthly user charge of ₹50 per household supports operation and maintenance. Concerns were raised about unauthorized tampering of control valves affecting equitable distribution. State officials noted JJM implementation is progressing steadily with works completed in many villages.

GP-Amarpur, Palwal, Haryana

Regular user charges are collected (₹40 for General, ₹20 for SC/BC households) generating ₹7,000-8,000 monthly for pipeline maintenance and leakage repairs. Water quality testing is conducted twice monthly with awareness meetings for water conservation. Dr. Jainder Singh Chhillar, DC Palwal, noted the village is already ODF Plus and moving toward 'Water Plus' status. Haryana's O&M Policy is implemented through Panchayat-led management with over 400 Panchayats signing MoUs for community-led operations.

GP-Ratanpur, South Tripura

All households, Anganwadis and schools have tap connections with regular, adequate quantity and quality from borewell sources. The Gram Panchayat maintains a complaints register with faults resolved locally within 2-3 days. Monthly water quality testing is conducted using FTKs with results recorded. The District Magistrate reported successful integration of Village Action Plan into GPDP via e-Gram Swaraj, completion of Jal Utsav and Jal Arpan, and Nal Jal Mitra training programs.

GP-Gindiyal, Kargil, Ladakh

Tap connections reach every household, Anganwadis and schools, ending previous hardships where women trekked 7-10 km in -40°C temperatures. Technical adaptations include pipelines below frost line, insulation in rocky stretches, soak pits for wastewater recharge, and reliance on mapped natural springs. Five operators and trained women conduct bi-monthly water testing using FTKs and send samples to district labs. A WhatsApp group and complaint register enable rapid grievance redressal. Shri Rakesh Kumar, Deputy Commissioner, outlined winter-proofing measures and reported Nal Jal Mitra training completion across 170 Gram Panchayats using 16th Finance Commission grants.

Concluding Remarks

Shri Kamal Kishore Soan commended District Collectors and Gram Panchayats for their commitment and encouraged replication of transparency, community engagement, and accountability models. He emphasized that Jal Seva Aankalan is a fact-finding exercise to identify service gaps, urging DCs to convene regular DWSM meetings for monthly water and sanitation reviews. The Samvad was contextualized by Shri Y K Singh, Director NJJM, as an initiative to understand village experiences and learn local O&M practices.