'Sujal Gram Samvad': Officials, panchayat representatives discuss water supply issues
New Delhi, June 26
Aiming to promote community-led water governance under the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, the Ministry of Jal Shakti has discussed issues related to piped water supply in villages with panchayat representatives.
Speaking at the eighth edition of the 'Sujal Gram Samvad' on Thursday, Kamal Kishore Soan, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM), stressed on ensuring the proper and timely delivery of potable piped water to rural households, prevention of water wastage and stressed the importance of regular water-quality testing.
Soan also highlighted that the drinking-water systems being created are intended to serve communities for the next 25-30 years, an official statement said.
"Panchayats must therefore focus on source sustainability and protection, timely operation and maintenance, prevention of water wastage, and strengthening local capacities for repairs and monitoring," Soan said.
He mentioned that, since 2019, India has prioritised household piped water, and today more than six lakh villages are being covered under JJM, which is an achievement made possible by active participation of Panchayats, Gram Sabhas, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), and local operators (Nal Jal Mitras).
The eighth edition of Sujal Gram Samvad featured village‑level interactions across five Gram Panchayat headquartered villages.
The Samvad recorded more than 3,000 participants attending the virtual interaction, reflecting strong engagement from communities and officials alike.
Soan encouraged continued efforts to accelerate such best practices and bring more Panchayats on board, so that similar models of transparency, community engagement and accountability can be replicated at gram panchayat level.
He highlighted that the Jal Seva Aankalan is a fact-finding exercise intended to identify service gaps for corrective action.
If issues remain unaddressed today, they will become far more serious in future, so to address this he urged the District Collectors to convene regular District Water and Sanitation Mission meetings and devote focused time each month to review water and sanitation matters.
The Samvad started by setting the context and sharing objective by Y.K. Singh, NJJM Director.
He said that the Samvad aims to listen to village communities, understand their experiences and learn local practices on Operation and Maintenance, and source sustenance.
— IANS
Reader Comments
I attended a similar virtual Samvad last year from my village in Bihar. Initially I was skeptical, but honestly the interaction was quite productive. They actually listened to our complaints about water quality. But I still see a gap - water testing kits are available but many panchayats don't use them regularly. The mission is good but execution at grassroots needs more teeth. Baby steps I guess.
Finally some focus on rural water supply! My grandparents in Chhattisgarh still carry water from a handpump half a kilometer away. The article mentions 6 lakh villages covered, but I wonder how many of these are truly functional. The real test of JJM 2.0 will be in remote tribal areas where community participation is weak. Hope the District Collectors actually take the monthly reviews seriously!
Impressive engagement with over 3000 participants online! I work with NGOs in Rajasthan and have seen firsthand how community-led models work better than top-down approaches. The emphasis on 25-30 year planning is also important - water infrastructure isn't a short-term fix. But the real challenge is behavioral change: people need to stop wasting water even when it comes from a tap. Water conservation needs to be taught in schools.
Sounds nice on paper but in our panchayat in Uttar Pradesh, the piped water supply runs only 2 hours a day in the morning. What's the use? The Nal Jal Mitra is rarely available for repairs. I appreciate the intention of Sujal Gram Samvad but until there's accountability at the local level, people will continue to suffer. Regular water-quality testing should be mandatory and results should be displayed publicly.
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