Shillong, Feb 24: The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, successfully organised the fourth Edition of ‘Sujal Gram Samvad’ today, reinforcing the Government of India’s commitment to participatory water governance and community-led implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
The virtual interaction brought together Gram Panchayat representatives, Village Water and Sanitation Committee members, community participants, women SHGs, students and frontline functionaries, along with State Mission directors of JJM, District Collectors, District Magistrates and Deputy Commissioners, DWSM officials, and senior officers from States and Union Territories.
Among the six Gram Panchayat headquarter villages featured in this edition, Mawtawar stood out for demonstrating how effective water governance can be achieved even in geographically challenging landscapes.
Speaking during the interaction, the Headman of Mawtawar highlighted that ensuring regular water supply in high-altitude and hilly regions was once considered extremely difficult. Before the implementation of Jal Jeevan Mission, villagers, particularly women, spent 1–3 hours daily fetching water from rivers and wells, often standing in long queues during the dry season.
With the implementation of JJM, elevated storage tanks have been constructed to facilitate gravity‑based distribution, enabling regular tap water supply to every household. The community noted substantial improvements in daily life, including reduced physical burden, time savings and greater dignity and convenience, especially for women.
The village leadership highlighted that water quality assurancehas become an integral part of service delivery. Water is tested at least three times a year by trained four women, ASHAs and AWW. The VWSC plays a proactive role in distribution management, quality monitoring, awareness campaigns and grievance redressal. Minor issues such as leakages are resolved locally, while major concerns are promptly reported to the PHED, reflecting strong community ownership and an effective rural water governance system.
Shri Ashok K.K. Meena, Secretary, DDWS in his opening remark emphasized that while JJM has focused on creating drinking water infrastructure across rural India, the next most critical phase is ensuring the sustainability of these systems. Once the physical infrastructure is in place, the real responsibility lies in guaranteeing the regular supply of drinking water to households through strong operation and maintenance mechanisms. Sustained service delivery must now become the central priority.
He underlined that water supply management is fundamentally a local responsibility and highlighted the important role of Gram Panchayats, and VWSCs in taking ownership of the schemes. Going forward, greater emphasis will be placed on transferring water supply systems to Gram Panchayats so that they operate and manage them with full ownership.
To support this transition, institutional systems including District Technical Units (DTUs) will be strengthened to provide necessary technical and operational assistance. He further informed that a nationwide Jal Mahotsav will be held from 8–22 March, beginning on International Women’s Day and concluding on Woeld Water Day.
In his concluding remark and wayforward, AS & MD, NJJM, Shri Kamal Kishore Soan, appreciated the detailed presentation and acknowledged the comprehensive efforts undertaken by the Panchayat and district authorities. He commended the participatory approach, the integration of awareness initiatives such as Jal Jeevan Clubs, and the establishment of responsive grievance mechanisms.
He emphasized that the platform is not only meant to showcase good practices but also to openly discuss challenges so that they can be collectively addressed and improved upon.
