New Delhi: More than 1,850 gram panchayats and villages across the country observed ‘Jal Arpan’ during Special Gram Sabhas held on Gandhi Jayanti, marking the formal handover of completed rural drinking water supply schemes to local communities under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0.
According to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, the initiative is aimed at strengthening community ownership and long-term sustainability of rural water supply systems by transferring responsibility for operation and maintenance to Gram Panchayats and Village Water & Sanitation Committees (VWSCs).
In a first, the Jal Arpan digital module enabled the generation of Har Ghar Jal certificates in regional languages. A total of 346 certificates were issued to eligible gram panchayats and villages, making the certification process more accessible and citizen-centric.
The certificates can now be generated in Hindi, English and 17 regional languages, including Kashmiri, Urdu, Punjabi, Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu and Odia, among others.
The Jal Arpan events witnessed participation from Gram Panchayats, VWSCs, frontline workers, women volunteers and community members. Activities such as Jal Sankalp, Jal Bandhan, demonstrations on water quality testing using Field Test Kits (FTKs), awareness programmes and recognition of community contributors were organised in several villages.
States and Union Territories also undertook post-monsoon water quality testing of drinking water sources and intensified water quality surveillance and monitoring activities, with special emphasis on community participation and involvement of women.
The ministry said digital governance and asset management are being strengthened through the Sujalam Bharat initiative, under which rural water supply infrastructure is being geo-tagged. On Gandhi Jayanti, 2,691 water supply assets, including around 700 water sources, were geo-tagged across the country to support improved planning, monitoring and sustainability of drinking water systems.
As of October 3, more than 15.96 crore rural households, accounting for over 82 per cent of rural households in the country, have been provided tap water connections under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The Centre said the Jal Arpan initiative reflects the mission’s focus on community-led management of drinking water infrastructure and aligns with Mahatma Gandhi’s vision of local self-governance, public participation and collective responsibility for sustainable development.
