Jal Jeevan Mission Shifts Focus to Service Delivery at 5th District Collectors’ Peyjal Samvad

The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Shri Yogendra Kumar Singh, Director, NJJM, reaffirming DDWS’s commitment to ensuring safe and reliable drinking water for every rural household.

 

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, today organised the 5th edition of the District Collectors’ Peyjal Samvad, bringing together district administrations, senior officials and sector experts to strengthen service delivery under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

Chaired by Shri Ashok K. K. Meena, Secretary, DDWS, the virtual conference saw participation from District Collectors, Deputy Commissioners, Mission Directors and district officials from across India, reflecting the nationwide scale of the initiative.

From Infrastructure to Service Delivery

Addressing the gathering, Shri Ashok K.K. Meena underscored that JJM is entering a decisive phase, moving beyond infrastructure creation to ensuring reliable, sustainable and community-owned drinking water services in rural areas. He emphasised that under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, Gram Panchayats bear responsibility for operation and maintenance (O&M) of rural water supply systems and must be empowered to discharge this role effectively.

Highlighting growing community participation—including contributions from migrant and inter-state workers—he said a community-led approach would guide the next phase of JJM implementation.

Two Key Priorities: Jal Arpan and Jal Seva Aankalan

The Secretary outlined two strategic priorities:

Jal ArpanA structured handover of completed rural water supply schemes to Gram Panchayats and communities after a 15-day trial run. He recommended observing Jal Arpan annually as an Annual Maintenance Fortnight to promote preventive maintenance and reinforce community ownership.

Jal Seva AankalanA Gram Panchayat-led functionality assessment of villages declared 100% Har Ghar Jal, aimed at sustaining service quality and system performance over time.

District Collectors were encouraged to document and share best practices for replication across states.

Jal Seva Aankalan: Strengthening Accountability

Welcoming participants, Smt. Ankita Chakraborty, Deputy Secretary, NJJM, said the session focused on Jal Seva Aankalan, launched on 30 December 2025 by the Union Minister of Jal Shakti.

Presenting the framework, she explained that Jal Seva Aankalan enables Panchayats to assess drinking water services on three parameters:

• Regularity of supply

• Adequacy of availability

• Water quality

The assessment follows a five-step process involving VWSC discussions, Gram Sabha endorsement, digital data entry on the JJM IMIS Panchayat Dashboard, public disclosure via the Nari Panchayat App, and consolidated reporting at district and state levels.

The current cycle covers approximately 1.17 lakh Gram Panchayats declared Har Ghar Jal on or before 31 December 2020, with assessments to be completed by 26 January 2026.

District Innovations and Best Practices

District-level presentations highlighted diverse, locally tailored solutions:

• Niuland, Nagaland: Community-led O&M through WATSAN committees reduced the burden on women and girls; villages adopted monthly user charges to sustain systems.

• Palwal, Haryana: Adoption of Ranney Wells technology addressed fluoride contamination while lowering energy costs.

• Sarangarh-Bilaigarh, Chhattisgarh: Intensive IEC campaigns, night-time community meetings (Ratri Chaupals), SHG-led groundwater conservation, and water quality monitoring strengthened trust and participation.

• Mahabubnagar, Telangana: Digital monitoring of 100 LPCD supply using a colour-coded performance system showed 90% villages in the “green” category, reflecting strong service delivery.

Sustaining Har Ghar Jal

In concluding remarks, Shri K.K. Soan, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, NJJM, said learnings from Peyjal Samvad are being documented in the monthly Jal Jeevan Samvad newsletter to promote cross-learning among districts.

He emphasised that District Collectors play a pivotal leadership role in sustaining Har Ghar Jal outcomes and urged timely completion of Jal Seva Aankalan, proper training of Panchayat functionaries, and effective use of digital dashboards for evidence-based decision-making.

The session concluded with a vote of thanks by Shri Yogendra Kumar Singh, Director, NJJM, reaffirming DDWS’s commitment to ensuring safe and reliable drinking water for every rural household.

More than 1,500 participants from districts, states and Union Territories attended the 5th District Collectors’ Peyjal Samvad.