India's DDWS holds 11th District Collectors’ Peyjal Samvad

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), under India's Ministry of Jal Shakti, held the 11th District Collectors’ Peyjal Samvad via video conference. The meeting brought together senior officials, District Collectors, and District Magistrates to discuss accelerating the implementation of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0 and sharing best practices.

Ashok KK Meena, Secretary of the DDWS, chaired the session and urged districts to hold regular monthly meetings and utilize the Decision Support System (DSS) for scientific assessments of water source sustainability. He also emphasized the importance of the ‘Catch the Rain – Jal Sanchay Jan Bhagidari’ campaign, encouraging community participation in rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge to ensure long-term water security.

Additionally, Meena called for the expedited completion of Jal Arpan ceremonies for finished schemes to facilitate the formal handover of assets to Gram Panchayats. He noted that over 200,000 villages and more than 100,000 Gram Panchayats have already achieved Har Ghar Jal certification, which must now transition into sustained, community-led management of rural water supply systems.