The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) of the Ministry of Jal Shakti organised the fourth edition of Sujal Gram Samvad, convening village representatives from six Gram Panchayat headquarter villages across five states and one Union Territory in a virtual interaction. The event provided a forum for Gram Panchayat representatives, Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) members, women self?help groups, students and frontline functionaries to share local practices and peer learning. The edition recorded around 2,000 attendees and with extensive local participation beyond the registered count.

DDWS Secretary Ashok K.K. Meena underlined that while the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has established drinking water infrastructure, the priority now is ensuring sustainability through strong operation and maintenance systems. He advocated transferring water supply assets to Gram Panchayats with supportive institutional arrangements and strengthening District Technical Units (DTUs) for technical and operational assistance. He stressed transparency and accountability through the Jal Seva Aankalan, with many Panchayats already completing annual evaluations before the Gram Sabha.

Village reports highlighted tangible improvements in service delivery and public health. In Sederapet, Puducherry, the Panchayat achieved 100 per cent functional household tap connections covering 1,248 households and a population of nearly 6,700, supported by a 5,000-litre tank and seven borewells. In Pulimamidi, Telangana, complete tap coverage was reported across households, schools and Anganwadi centres, while Ngopok Pokdum, Arunachal Pradesh, reached all 330 households through a gravity-based system and reported continuous 24x7 supply with a monthly tariff of Rs50 and Rs200 for commercial units.

The exchange also showcased community practices such as regular field-level water quality testing, local grievance redressal mechanisms and community-led operation and maintenance by trained volunteers. A nationwide Jal Mahotsav scheduled from eight to 22 March will focus on formal handover of assets through Jal Arpan Diwas, strengthening water quality monitoring, and institutional capacity building at village and district levels. Senior officials from the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) acknowledged the participatory approach and encouraged wider replication of transparent community governance models. Participants were urged to use the festival to consolidate ownership and service delivery.