Sujal Gram Samvad III Puts Villages at the Centre of India’s Water Governance

The Sujal Gram Samvad platform has emerged as a critical governance innovation, enabling two-way communication between the Centre and grassroots institutions responsible for last-mile water delivery.

The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, today successfully organised the third edition of ‘Sujal Gram Samvad’, reinforcing the Government of India’s push towards participatory, community-led water governance under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

Held as a virtual national interaction, Sujal Gram Samvad brought together Gram Panchayat representatives, Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), women SHGs, students, frontline functionaries, along with State Mission Directors, District Collectors/District Magistrates, DWSM officials, and senior officers from States and Union Territories.

Grassroots Voices Shape Policy

The third edition featured live village-level interactions across eight Gram Panchayat headquarter villages, with participation from over 3,000 registered attendees, while collective engagement at Panchayat levels extended far beyond official counts—reflecting strong ownership by communities, including women, children, youth, and the elderly.

Three Pillars of Village-Level Water Governance

In his message, Shri Ashok K. K. Meena, Secretary, DDWS, highlighted three critical focus areas to strengthen drinking water governance at the village level:

• Role of Gram Panchayats:Under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment, drinking water supply is a Panchayat responsibility. Panchayats must assume full ownership through participatory planning and sustained community engagement.

• Jal Arpan & Lok Jal Utsav:Jal Arpan ensures formal commissioning and handover of water supply schemes to Panchayats with technical support. Panchayats were urged to organise Lok Jal Utsav to review scheme performance and ensure effective operation and maintenance.

• Jal Seva Aankalan:A transformative, people-led assessment where villagers evaluate water quantity, quality, and service levels through Gram Sabhas. Findings are to be uploaded on the portal to strengthen transparency, accountability, and service improvement.

‘JJM Is a People’s Movement’

In his opening remarks, Shri Kamal Kishore Soan, AS & MD, National Jal Jeevan Mission, said Sujal Gram Samvad is designed to listen directly to villagers in their own languages and understand how communities are managing water systems on the ground.

He stressed that long-term sustainability—over a 30-year horizon—depends on community participation, source sustainability, and regular maintenance. He described Jal Jeevan Mission not merely as a scheme, but a people’s movement, with Sujal Gram Samvad acting as a vital feedback bridge between villages and policymakers.

Voices from Across India

From Sipphighat (Andaman & Nicobar Islands) to Kalpeni Island (Lakshadweep), communities shared tangible outcomes of tap water access:

• Reduced water-borne diseases and medical expenses

• Time savings for women and girls, enabling education and livelihoods

• Willing payment of user charges for O&M

• Women-led water quality testing using Field Testing Kits

• Use of digital tools like SCADA systems for reliable supply

• Community-led leak detection, water conservation, and rainwater harvesting

Villages such as Salehbhat (Chhattisgarh), Dochana (Haryana), Harvelam (Goa), Tsethrongse (Nagaland), Rampur (Himachal Pradesh), Samarvani (Dadra & Nagar Haveli) and Kalpeni (Lakshadweep) showcased diverse yet replicable models of community ownership, women’s leadership, transparency, and sustainability.

Way Forward: Strengthening the Feedback Loop

The Sujal Gram Samvad platform has emerged as a critical governance innovation, enabling two-way communication between the Centre and grassroots institutions responsible for last-mile water delivery.

The third edition further reinforced the Government’s resolve to make rural drinking water systems sustainable, people-centric, transparent, and future-ready, ensuring that village voices continue to shape India’s water security agenda.