JJM's next phase to focus on sustainability, local ownership: Jal Shakti Ministry

New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) With the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) now providing access to tap water to over 15.71 crore, 81 per cent of rural households, the Ministry of Jal Shakti on Tuesday said the Mission's next phase will prioritise institutional consolidation, community ownership, and the long-term functionality of water systems.

Addressing the first District Collectors' Peyjal Samvad organised by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Jal Shakti Secretary Ashok KK Meena said that district administrations will play a crucial role in sustaining the gains of JJM by ensuring accountability and promoting local governance.

"Every district has its own remarkable solutions and innovations shaped by local realities. The Peyjal Samvad is an opportunity to identify such scalable and replicable models that can inspire cross-learning and guide policy improvement across states," Meena said.

The dialogue, held virtually, brought together district collectors, mission directors and senior officials from across states and Union Territories to share strategies for sustainable water governance.

District Collectors from Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills, Odisha's Ganjam, Maharashtra's Ratnagiri, Assam's Charaideo, Chhattisgarh's Dhamtari and North Tripura showcased local innovations such as catchment area plantations, SHG-led maintenance and user charge collection, technology-driven grievance systems, and community monitoring.

Highlighting the role of technology in improving transparency and efficiency, Joint Secretary (National Jal Jeevan Mission) Swati Meena Naik presented the Rural Piped Water Supply Scheme (RPWSS) ID Module, a new digital tool that assigns every rural water supply scheme a unique identity for real-time tracking, predictive maintenance, and performance assessment.

"The RPWSS ID Module will help district collectors monitor functionality, plan maintenance, and optimise resources based on data," Naik said.

Integrated with the PM Gati Shakti platform, the system will also enable spatial planning and coordination with other development programmes.

For citizens, the module promises greater transparency through digital mapping up to the household level and online access to water quality data and grievance redressal systems.

Additional Secretary and Mission Director Kamal Kishore Soan said JJM has evolved "from a scheme focused on infrastructure creation to a movement for governance reform, decentralisation, and community participation".

He emphasised the need for visible regulatory frameworks to ensure the protection of rural water infrastructure and sources from contamination.

Soan announced that the District Collectors' Peyjal Samvad will be institutionalised as a regular national platform for peer learning and innovation sharing among districts.

Reiterating the Mission's guiding philosophy, he said, "Jal bachega, to jal rahega, aur agar jal rahega to jal milega. (if water is saved, it will endure, and only then will it continue to be available.)" The DDWS said this next stage of the Mission marks a shift from providing tap connections to strengthening systems for sustained service delivery. It aims to build a model of water governance anchored in local institutions, digital transparency, and shared custodianship, ensuring that every village can sustainably manage its drinking water resources. PTI UZM NB NB