The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti organised a national workshop on Thursday to strengthen capacity-building for gram panchayats, village water and sanitation committees (VWSCs), and Sujalam Shakti Groups under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0.
The workshop gathered representatives from states and Union Territories (UTs), rural water sanitation and hygiene (WASH) partners, training institutions, and various stakeholders to review and discuss capacity-building modules developed for field-level functionaries, including gram panchayat representatives.
Discussions at the consultation centered on improving the content, pedagogy, and field applicability of the training modules. Stakeholders drew upon state and UT experiences and ground realities to support the finalisation and rollout of these modules under JJM 2.0.
During the event, Additional Secretary and Mission Director for the National Jal Jeevan Mission, Kamal Kishore Soan, highlighted the enhanced focus on capacity-building to secure the long-term sustainability of rural drinking water services. He noted that sustainable service delivery goes beyond building infrastructure, emphasizing the necessity of empowering gram panchayats and local stakeholders with the institutional support, skills, and knowledge required to manage village water supply systems.
Soan also pointed to the significance of clearly defined roles, Jan Bhagidari, and a reliable technical support ecosystem to maintain a regular, safe, and secure drinking water supply for rural households.
Joint Secretary Swati Meena Naik addressed the gathering by stressing the need for practical and application-oriented capacity-building. She noted that training should cover critical areas such as source sustainability, water quality, operation and maintenance, financial management, and community participation. Naik underlined that fostering community ownership is essential for communities to act as active partners in managing local water resources.
Furthermore, Naik outlined the vision for digital transformation within JJM 2.0, emphasizing the importance of a connected digital ecosystem for monitoring, task tracking, and accountability.
As part of the proceedings, participants were briefed on eight distinct training and capacity-building modules formulated by the National Jal Jeevan Mission. A significant portion of the workshop involved group-based consultations where stakeholders reviewed these modules, recommended enhancements for practicality, scalability, and relevance, and identified emerging training needs to reinforce frameworks under JJM 2.0.
"The emphasis on capacity-building and digital transformation under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 highlights a critical shift toward sustainable operational models in public infrastructure. By focusing on grassroots empowerment, community ownership, and structured training for local bodies like gram panchayats, the initiative addresses the operational challenges often seen in long-term project management. For businesses and social enterprises operating in the rural infrastructure and WASH sectors, aligning with these standardized training frameworks and digital monitoring ecosystems will be key to participating effectively in large-scale public initiatives." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
