The Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation), Ministry of Jal Shakti, recently organised the third edition of ‘Sujal Gram Samvad’, reinforcing participatory water governance and community-led implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission. The virtual interaction connected Gram Panchayat representatives and village communities from eight Gram Panchayat headquarter villages across eight States and Union Territories. Conducted in local languages and dialects, the programme enabled direct dialogue among villagers, officials and mission leaders, strengthening Jan Bhagidari and peer learning. More than 3,000 participants joined the sessions, with wider community participation at village levels. Secretary, DDWS, Shri Ashok K.K. Meena, highlighted the constitutional role of Gram Panchayats in drinking water supply and stressed sustained community engagement. He emphasised initiatives such as Jal Arpan, Lok Jal Utsav and Jal Seva Aankalan to ensure transparency, accountability and long-term sustainability of rural water systems. AS & MD, National Jal Jeevan Mission, Shri Kamal Kishore Soan, noted that Sujal Gram Samvad provides a platform to hear grassroots experiences directly in local languages. He underlined that the Mission is a people’s movement, requiring active participation for source sustainability, system maintenance and reliable service delivery over the long term. Village-level interactions showcased improvements in health, reduced drudgery for women, regular water quality testing and community-managed operations. Villages reported responsible water use, monthly user charges ranging from Rs 50 to Rs 100 per household, women-led water quality monitoring using field testing kits, and initiatives such as recharge pits, rainwater harvesting and protection of traditional water bodies. Several villages highlighted 24×7 water supply, metering, SCADA-based monitoring and reinvestment of surplus funds to expand infrastructure. The third edition strengthened feedback between the Centre and grassroots institutions, reaffirming the government’s resolve to make rural drinking water systems sustainable, people-centric and future-ready under the Jal Jeevan Mission.