What happened
The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, organised the ninth edition of the multilingual Sujal Gram Samvad as a virtual platform for community-led rural water governance under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0. The programme brought together Gram Panchayat representatives, members of Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), Jal Sahiyas/Jal Bahinis/Jal Sakhis, Anganwadi workers, students, teachers, and frontline functionaries, along with JJM State Mission Directors, District Collectors/District Magistrates/Deputy Commissioners, and DDWS officials.
Background and earlier position
Rural drinking water and sanitation are entrusted to Panchayati Raj Institutions through the constitutional framework for Panchayati Raj decentralisation. Under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0, the governance emphasis shifts from delivery of infrastructure alone to sustaining rural water services through local institutions and community ownership, including VWSC-led roles in operation and maintenance (O&M), water-quality checks, and use-policy compliance.
What changed now
The 9th edition of Sujal Gram Samvad operationalised the community-led governance approach by structuring peer learning around specific sustainability practices shared by multiple Gram Panchayats. Examples included household tap connections and phased piped supply for remote/tribal habitations, gravity-fed spring water improvement and winter-availability measures, community-led leak reporting and convergence for source sustainability, and regular water-quality monitoring using Field Test Kits (FTKs).
Related current affairs
- DDWS Organises National Workshop on Multi-Stakeholder Consultation for Capacity Building under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0
- Extension of the Jal Jeevan Mission and Transfer of Rural Water Supply Schemes
- DDWS urges States/UTs to facilitate student participation and document/publish best practices under JJM 2.0
- PM to participate in valedictory session of Departmental Summit on Water Security on 2 September