New Delhi, Jan 22 The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, on Monday successfully organised the Third Edition of ‘Sujal Gram Samvad’, reinforcing the Government of India’s commitment to participatory water governance and community-led implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
The virtual interaction connected Gram Panchayat representatives, Village Water and Sanitation Committee members, women Self-Help Groups, students, frontline functionaries, and community participants with State Mission Directors of JJM, District Collectors, DWSM officials, and senior officers from States and Union Territories.
The third edition featured village-level interactions across eight Gram Panchayat headquarter villages in eight States, conducted in local languages. The programme recorded participation of over 3,000 registered attendees, with significantly higher engagement at the Gram Panchayat level, including women, youth, children, and elderly community members.
Ashok K.K. Meena, Secretary, DDWS, highlighted three critical pillars for strengthening village-level drinking water governance:
- Role of Gram Panchayats: Under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, Panchayats are responsible for drinking water supply and must ensure reliable services through participatory planning and sustained community engagement.
- Jal Arpan & Lok Jal Utsav: Emphasising formal commissioning and handover of schemes to Panchayats, he urged the conduct of Lok Jal Utsav for periodic review and effective operation and maintenance.
- Jal Seva Aankalan: He stressed the importance of community-led assessment of water quantity, quality, and service levels through Gram Sabhas, with findings uploaded on the portal to enhance transparency and accountability.
Kamal Kishore Soan, AS & MD, National Jal Jeevan Mission, said that Sujal Gram Samvad serves as a platform to hear villagers directly in their own languages and understand ground-level challenges in managing drinking water systems. He reiterated that Jal Jeevan Mission is a people’s movement, with community participation being central to long-term sustainability and service reliability.
Villages from Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Goa, Nagaland, Himachal Pradesh, Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu, and Lakshadweep shared experiences highlighting improved access to safe drinking water, reduction in water-borne diseases, enhanced women’s participation, transparent user-fee collection, regular water quality testing, and strong community ownership of water supply systems.
Several villages reported 24×7 water supply, 100% household tap connections, women-led water quality monitoring, and effective grievance redressal through Gram Sabhas, showcasing best practices under JJM.
