New Delhi [India], December 31 (ANI): In a major step in the direction of strengthening service supply and neighborhood possession beneath the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation (DDWS), Ministry of Jal Shakti, on Tuesday e-launched Jal Seva Aankalan, a Gram Panchayat-led digital consuming water service performance evaluation software on the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) portal.
The initiative marks a decisive shift from infrastructure creation to sustained service supply, inserting Gram Panchayats and village establishments on the centre of assessing the regularity, adequacy, high quality and sustainability of consuming water provide in Har Ghar Jal (HGJ) villages.
With numerous Gram Panchayats having achieved Har Ghar Jal standing, Jal Jeevan Mission has entered a brand new part the place the emphasis is on making certain that faucet connections translate into dependable and secure consuming water companies every day, mentioned the discharge.
Jal Seva Aankalan has been conceptualised as a community-owned self-assessment, enabling villages to collectively replicate on their water service supply techniques slightly than relying solely on rare and expensive third-party surveys.
According to the discharge, the software was formally e-launched by CR Patil, Union Minister of Jal Shakti. The occasion was attended by Ministers of State for Jal Shakti, V Somanna and Raj Bhushan Choudhary, together with senior officers of DDWS, representatives from States and establishments, Panchayat Secretaries, Sarpanches and Village Water & Sanitation Committee members. Around 10,000 representatives of Har Ghar Jal Gram Panchayats from throughout States/ UTs participated just about within the programme.
Addressing the gathering, the Minister emphasised that Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) shouldn’t be solely about creating belongings, however about delivering reliable consuming water companies to each rural family on a sustained foundation. He outlined the 4 key pillars of the Mission – Political Will, People’s Participation, Stakeholder Collaboration, and Optimal Resource Use, and underscored that Jan Bhagidari is probably the most essential pillar for making certain the long-term sustainability of Har Ghar Jal achievements.
He acknowledged that Jal Seva Aankalan empowers Gram Panchayats to turn into custodians of their very own water provide techniques and strengthens democratic decision-making by Gram Sabhas. The Minister remarked that ‘Jal Jeevan Mission is for the folks and for the villages, and the duty to maintain it going rests with the neighborhood itself; this may be achieved solely by Jan Bhagidari.’
The Minister underscored that neighborhood participation and transparency are important for the long-term sustainability of rural consuming water techniques, and that the brand new software will assist determine service supply gaps early and allow well timed corrective motion.
He acknowledged that Jal Seva Aankalan empowers Gram Panchayats to turn into custodians of their very own water provide techniques and strengthens democratic decision-making by Gram Sabhas. The Minister remarked that ‘Jal Jeevan Mission is for the folks and for the villages, and the duty to maintain it going rests with the neighborhood itself; this may be achieved solely by Jan Bhagidari.’
The Minister underscored that neighborhood participation and transparency are important for the long-term sustainability of rural consuming water techniques, and that the brand new software will assist determine service supply gaps early and allow well timed corrective motion.
A key spotlight of the occasion was the interplay between the Minister CR Patil and Panchayat representatives from Ghonashi Gram Panchayat (Karad Block, Satara District, Maharashtra), Gogathala Gram Panchayat (Railmagra Block, Rajsamand District, Rajasthan), and Bilhapur Gram Panchayat (Amrodha Block, Kanpur Dehat District, Uttar Pradesh). The village representatives shared their experiences in managing rural water provide techniques, making certain regularity and high quality of water provide, common testing, assortment of consumer fees, and sustaining Har Ghar Jal achievements.
Ashok KK Meena, Secretary, Department of Drinking Water & Sanitation, defined that Jal Seva Aankalan is neither an inspection nor an exterior audit, however a structured, community-led self-review course of that allows villages to evaluate how successfully their piped water provide techniques are functioning.
He emphasised that the initiative locations communities, Gram Panchayats and Village Water & Sanitation Committees on the centre of evaluating service supply parameters comparable to regularity, adequacy, high quality and system upkeep, with the findings deliberated and owned by the Gram Sabha.
Kamal Kishore Soan, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Jal Jeevan Mission, explaining the Jal Seva Aankalan course of, acknowledged that the inputs supplied by Gram Panchayats have to be stuffed appropriately and responsibly, because the evaluation information will likely be publicly seen on the nationwide stage, underscoring the significance of accuracy and credibility.
He emphasised that Zila Panchayats have an energetic facilitative position to play, with planning and coordination on the district stage, whereas systematic coaching on the block stage, notably of Panchayat Secretaries, is important to make sure right information entry. He additional famous that the authenticity of the evaluation might be ensured solely by deliberation and endorsement within the Gram Sabha, which serves as the ultimate discussion board for collective verification and possession of the Jal Seva Aankalan outcomes.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Swati Meena Naik, Joint Secretary, NJJM, adopted by a coaching session on the Jal Seva Aankalan software for Gram Panchayat representatives by Ankita Chakravarty, Deputy Secretary, NJJM.
With a major variety of Gram Panchayats having achieved Har Ghar Jal standing, the main focus has now moved to making sure common, satisfactory, secure and sustainable consuming water provide. Jal Seva Aankalan replaces dependence on rare exterior surveys with a steady, institutionally embedded evaluation mechanism rooted in native governance.
The evaluation covers key service parameters, together with Regularity and adequacy of water provide, Drinking water high quality, Operation and upkeep of techniques, Source sustainability, and Village-level institutional and administration preparations.
The course of begins with structured discussions involving members of the Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC), Panchayat Secretary, system operators and a consultant cross-section of water customers, together with girls and weak teams. The findings are then positioned earlier than the Gram Sabha for open deliberation and endorsement.
Upon approval by a Gram Sabha decision, the evaluation is digitally uploaded on the JJM Panchayat Dashboard and publicly disclosed by platforms comparable to eGramSwaraj and the Meri Panchayat App, with a 30-day citizen suggestions window earlier than finalisation. The findings may also be obtainable to the District Collectors/CEO Zila Panchayats and State Level authorities to allow corrective motion and determination of issues wherever required.
Jal Seva Aankalan is predicted to Anchor consuming water service evaluation in Gram Sabha deliberations, allow early identification of operational, high quality and sustainability challenges, enhance transparency by public disclosure of service efficiency, assist evidence-based district and state-level planning, and reinforce neighborhood stewardship of rural water provide techniques.
All Har Ghar Jal Gram Panchayats are anticipated to finish Jal Seva Aankalan by twenty sixth January 2026, reinforcing the precept that rural water provide techniques belong to the neighborhood and have to be managed by the neighborhood itself. (ANI)