Jal Jeevan Mission: Villagers across country share success stories at multilingual Sujal Gram Samvad

New Delhi, Nov 18 (PTI) From Odisha's Belagam, where villagers now manage user fee collection and water quality tests, to Tamil Nadu's Alinjivakkam, where doorstep tap water has freed women from long walks, stories of change set the tone for the first multilingual Sujal Gram Samvad organised here by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) on Tuesday.

The nationwide dialogue brought together villagers from 12 states and Union Territories, each speaking in their own regional language to describe how the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has transformed their daily lives.

Chaired by DDWS Secretary Ashok K K Meena, the dialogue connected over 1,500 participants. Villagers narrated how safe tap water has reduced diseases, improved school attendance among girls, cut the drudgery of water collection, and strengthened livelihoods.

Many described how communities have taken full ownership of repairing motors and pipelines, protecting sources, monitoring water quality, promoting conservation, collecting user charges and resolving grievances locally.

"The framework of Sujal Gram Samvad has been designed to listen to gram panchayats, understand their challenges, learn from their good practices, and recognise their leadership on the ground," Meena said in his opening remarks.

Across Madhya Pradesh's Beohari, Rajasthan's Nirjharana, Mizoram's Khawruhlian, Punjab's Parcha, Gujarat's Takhatgadh, Manipur's Lairenjam, Bihar's Kachariyadih, Andhra Pradesh's Enamadala and Uttar Pradesh's Banka Pahari, communities detailed how the Jal Jeevan Mission has brought reliability, dignity and better health. Many highlighted women-led efforts, spring protection, regular testing, quick repairs and collective decisions through panchayats.

District administrations and State Water and Sanitation Missions were credited for supporting villages through technical guidance, Operation and Maintenance (O&M) planning, convergence with Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, and strengthening water quality monitoring.

Additional Secretary and Mission Director Kamal Kishore Soan interacted with each village team and stressed improvements in O&M, equitable supply, dashboard use, user-charge collection and timely commissioning.

He identified three key action points: regular use of the panchayat dashboard; technical training of village youth, especially girls, to manage water systems; and strong source protection in line with revised MGNREGA guidelines mandating investments in recharge and sustainability. PTI UZM RUK RUK