Pact signed to boost digital monitoring of rural water, sanitation schemes

New Delhi, Oct 6 (PTI) The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) on Monday signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Bhaskaracharya National Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG-N) to strengthen digital monitoring of rural water and sanitation programmes.

The agreement aims to develop a GIS-integrated decision-support platform for the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) [SBM(G)], the Jal Shakti ministry said in a statement.

The new platform will enhance data-driven planning, monitoring and evaluation of rural water supply and sanitation initiatives, and enable real-time visualization, analytics and informed decision-making.

The MoA was exchanged by JJM Joint Secretary Swati Meena Naik and BISAG-N Special Director General Vinay Thakur in the presence of DDWS Secretary Ashok K K Meena, who chaired the event, and other senior officials.

Meena said leveraging geospatial technologies will strengthen transparency, accountability and efficiency in implementing the two flagship missions. He added that the collaboration will integrate advanced GIS capabilities into the existing digital infrastructure.

The platform will also support the mapping of Rural Piped Water Supply Schemes, creation of unique scheme-level IDs and household-level monitoring of water delivery. It will converge with other rural infrastructure projects for better planning and implementation.

Under the pact, BISAG-N will provide end-to-end support, including database design, map creation, data migration, software development and systems integration. It will also incorporate tools such as ground control surveying, digital photogrammetry and thematic mapping.

The initiative will be aligned with the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan to ensure seamless integration of water and sanitation infrastructure with other sectoral assets, thereby optimising resource allocation and accelerating rural infrastructure development.

According to the statement, the collaboration supports the government's Digital India vision by creating a robust digital ecosystem for effective planning and monitoring of rural water and sanitation services. PTI UZM UZM KSS KSS