The Ministry of Jal Shakti is set to roll out an upgraded Rural Piped Water Supply Schemes (RPWSS) module under the Jal Jeevan Mission, marking a major advancement in the digital transformation of rural water governance. The upgraded system aims to strengthen monitoring, transparency, and accountability in rural drinking water services through advanced data management and real-time tracking capabilities. The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) unveiled the new module at a national meeting chaired by Ashok K. K. Meena, Secretary, DDWS, following weeks of deliberations on the initiative. According to an official statement, the enhanced RPWSS module will act as a digital registry for all rural piped water schemes by assigning unique RPWSS IDs, giving each scheme a traceable digital identity. This will allow real-time tracking, geo-tagging, and data-driven monitoring of water assets, improving efficiency and operational transparency. “The new RPWSS module will be a cornerstone of transparent and accountable governance in the rural water sector,” said Meena, urging States and Union Territories to complete the creation of RPWSS IDs by November 2025 to ensure full coverage and data integrity. Officials said the upgraded platform represents a major leap in building Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) for rural water management. The GIS-based asset registry will link water sources, treatment plants, pipelines, and household connections through the PM Gati Shakti platform, offering end-to-end visibility of water supply networks. The initiative will also empower Panchayats and Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) with real-time verified data to monitor system functionality and water quality, enabling better decision-making at the grassroots level. Beyond improving service delivery, the platform is expected to create local employment in data management, asset mapping, predictive maintenance, and analytics, fostering digital capacity in rural areas. By integrating real-time dashboards, predictive analytics, and decision-support systems, the RPWSS upgrade will enable smarter and more sustainable management of rural water infrastructure under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the ministry added.