Drinking Water and Sanitation Department organises digital convention as observe as much as Water Summit

New Delhi [India], October 22 (ANI): The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, on Thursday organised the fourth digital convention with States and Union Territories as a part of a sequence of thematic consultations being held in follow-up to the Departmental Summit on Water 2026 held on 1-2 September. 

The convention centered on strengthening convergence between Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 and the sixteenth Finance Commission to advance supply sustainability, water safety and Gram Panchayat-led planning for sustainable rural ingesting water service supply.

The digital convention introduced collectively senior officers from State PHEDs/Rural Water Supply Departments, Panchayati Raj Departments and representatives from the Ministries of Panchayati Raj, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India and National Informatics Centre. 

State rural water provide departments, together with Karnataka, Odisha and Madhya Pradesh, shared finest practices and subject experiences on leveraging Finance Commission grants for strengthening rural water provide programs, enhancing O&M preparations, enhancing group participation and strengthening native governance mechanisms.

Addressing the convention, Ashok Ok.Ok. Meena, Secretary, DDWS, acknowledged that with the extension of JJM 2.0, the main focus now shifts from infrastructure creation to making sure performance, sustainability and high quality service supply. 

He emphasised that the true measure of success lies not merely in asset creation however in guaranteeing that rural households proceed to obtain dependable and protected ingesting water via well-maintained and financially sustainable programs.

Meena underlined the pivotal function of Gram Panchayats in rural water governance and famous that the 73rd Constitutional Amendment locations ingesting water and sanitation among the many key duties of native self-governments. 

He burdened that Gram Panchayats should take management in getting ready complete annual O&M plans, mobilising native sources, managing service supply and guaranteeing accountability for water provide infrastructure created beneath JJM and different programmes.

Referring to the sixteenth Finance Commission framework, he highlighted that tied grants present a big alternative to strengthen the sustainability of ingesting water and sanitation companies on the grassroots degree. He famous that of the overall Rural Local Body (RLB) grants advisable by the sixteenth Finance Commission, a considerable share has been earmarked for water and sanitation-related actions.

 He emphasised that these grants needs to be utilised primarily for operation and upkeep, supply sustainability, water high quality administration, service supply enhancements and strengthening native institutional capability reasonably than creation of latest infrastructure the place current property require upkeep and assist.

The Secretary centered on three key pillars of sustainable financing for rural water provide programs similar to efficient utilisation of Finance Commission grants, ii. convergence with different obtainable programmes, and iii. schemes, and progressive strengthening of user-charge assortment mechanisms.

Referring to profitable examples from a number of States, he inspired States and Gram Panchayats to undertake sustainable income fashions that assist recurring O&M expenditure and scale back dependence on a single funding supply. 

He additionally burdened the rising function of Gram Panchayats within the administration of sanitation and stable waste programs and highlighted the necessity for native our bodies to plan comprehensively for each ingesting water and sanitation companies. 

He famous that sufficient provisions have to be made for repairs, leak administration, pump upkeep, chlorination, water-quality surveillance, electrical energy expenditure and staffing preparations required for uninterrupted service supply.

Emphasising capability constructing as a vital requirement, Meena known as upon States to utilise sources obtainable beneath the Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) and different programmes for coaching Panchayat representatives and native functionaries. 

He urged States to translate and disseminate Operation and Maintenance Manuals in native languages and be certain that Panchayats clearly perceive the permissible actions, funding mechanisms and reporting necessities beneath the Finance Commission framework.

He known as upon to strengthen coordination between Rural Water Supply Departments, Panchayati Raj Institutions and Rural Development Departments on the State, district and Gram Panchayat ranges. 

He famous that the simultaneous implementation of JJM 2.0, VB-G RAM G, and the sixteenth Finance Commission cycle gives a singular alternative to institutionalise sustainable water governance via built-in planning and coordinated implementation.

Kritika Kulhari, Deputy Secretary, NJJM, made an in depth presentation on the sixteenth Finance Commission Grants and utilisation of tied grants for water and sanitation, outlining the grant construction, launch circumstances, reporting necessities, permissible actions and planning framework. 

Participants have been knowledgeable that the overall Rural Local Body allocation beneath the sixteenth Finance Commission exceeds 4.35 lakh crore, with almost 1.74 lakh crore earmarked for water administration and sanitation over the award interval. 

The presentation highlighted that precedence needs to be accorded to operation and upkeep of current property, lifecycle-based planning, preventive upkeep, group possession and digital accountability via prescribed platforms.

Vipul Ujwal, Director, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, made an in depth presentation on GPDP planning, launch modalities and utilisation of Finance Commission Grants for rural water provide O&M.

 He emphasised that sustainable service supply requires integration of three vital components – Requirements, Resources and Responsibilities (RRR). He defined how Gram Panchayats ought to determine service gaps, estimate annual O&M necessities, assess obtainable monetary sources and combine these priorities into the Gram Panchayat Development Plan (GPDP). 

He additional highlighted the rising significance of Own Source Revenue (OSR), user-charge assortment and performance-based grants in strengthening Panchayat funds and guaranteeing sustainable service supply.

The convention additionally featured a technical presentation by NIC, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, on the eGramSwaraj portal and its reporting modules. The session defined how Gram Panchayats can combine planning, implementation, geo-tagging, expenditure reporting, asset administration and monitoring via the digital platform. 

The presentation highlighted the mixing of eGramSwaraj with the Public Financial Management System (PFMS) and numerous departmental databases, enabling improved transparency, accountability and real-time monitoring of Finance Commission-funded actions.

During the State experience-sharing session, Karnataka offered its built-in method to rural water provide administration via improvements similar to Jala Sankalana, JalaAasthi and Jeevajala, which mix GIS-based asset administration, real-time monitoring, group participation and evidence-based O&M planning. 

The State highlighted its expertise in water budgeting, volumetric tariff assortment, preventive upkeep and strengthening group possession of ingesting water programs. 

Further, the state shared its expertise of institutional convergence beneath the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj framework, the place Rural Water Supply, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development capabilities function in shut coordination and highlighted how this built-in administrative construction has enabled higher planning and utilisation of Finance Commission grants, strengthened Gram Panchayat participation in operation and upkeep planning, water budgeting and tariff assortment, and improved coordination between technical departments and native self-governments.

 Karnataka emphasised that sustained group engagement, clear delineation of duties and convergence of monetary sources have been central to strengthening the long-term sustainability of rural ingesting water companies.

Odisha shared its institutional mannequin constructed round shut convergence amongst Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Drinking Water departments.

The State offered its built-in O&M framework, bottom-up budgeting course of, digital monitoring programs, native mechanic coaching programmes and technology-driven interventions similar to solarisation, automation and IoT-based monitoring programs aimed toward guaranteeing long-term sustainability of ingesting water companies. 

The State highlighted how coordinated planning, bottom-up budgeting and convergence of Finance Commission grants, State sources and group contributions have helped strengthen operation and upkeep programs.

Odisha additionally underscored the significance of Gram Panchayat participation, native capability constructing, digital monitoring and clearly outlined accountability mechanisms in guaranteeing dependable service supply and sustainable administration of rural water provide infrastructure.

Madhya Pradesh highlighted its lately notified O&M Rules, 2026, which allow Gram Panchayats to utilise a number of funding streams for water provide and sanitation actions. The State showcased simplified procurement processes, district-level WASH technical committees, structured coaching programmes, digital programs for user-charge assortment and in depth efforts to construct technical capability amongst Panchayat representatives and engineers.

The State highlighted how a number of funding streams, together with Finance Commission grants, State grants, consumer fees and different native sources, are being introduced collectively to assist sustainable operation and upkeep.

In his concluding remarks,  Kamal Kishore Soan, AS&MD, NJJM reiterated that Finance Commission grants needs to be seen as a chance to institutionalise sustainable rural water governance and strengthen Panchayat possession of water provide programs.

 He urged States to finish pending compliance necessities, strengthen GPDP-based planning, enhance user-charge assortment mechanisms, and guarantee efficient utilisation of each fifteenth and sixteenth Finance Commission grants for sustaining rural water provide infrastructure.

Soan additionally known as upon States to organise intensive coaching and capacity-building programmes for Panchayat representatives, Panchayat Secretaries, Sarpanches and technical personnel over the approaching months and guarantee well timed decision of eGramSwaraj login and reporting points. 

He knowledgeable individuals that two regional conferences are deliberate in November 2026 to evaluation preparedness, handle implementation challenges and strengthen convergence amongst departments answerable for ingesting water, sanitation, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development.

The convention concluded with a shared dedication by the Centre and States/UTs to strengthen Panchayat-led planning, enhance monetary sustainability, improve interdepartmental convergence and be certain that the substantial investments made beneath Jal Jeevan Mission translate into dependable, steady and sustainable ingesting water and sanitation companies for rural households throughout the nation. (ANI)