Centre urges states to align MGNREGA funds for water works, set up drinking water zones

New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday urged states and Union Territories to align their MGNREGA plans with the recent decision mandating dedicated expenditure on water-related works, including recharge, water harvesting and source protection.

It also called for the creation of ‘Protected Drinking Water Zones’, enforcement of inspection protocols and stronger community vigilance through Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs).

The appeal came during the second edition of the ‘District Collectors’ Peyjal Samvad’, organised by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) under the Ministry of Jal Shakti to strengthen local water governance and promote source sustainability of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

Addressing the session, Additional Secretary and Mission Director of the National Jal Jeevan Mission (NJJM) Kamal Kishore Soan said district collectors play a key role in ensuring sustainable water service delivery and urged them to integrate water conservation and recharge activities into their MGNREGA planning.

“District Collectors are the key functionaries and their role is very important under JJM. Sustainable service delivery depends on data-backed decision-making, local ownership and preventive governance,” Soan said.

The virtual event brought together over 800 participants, including district collectors, mission directors and state teams. It was built on the first edition held earlier this month, which focused on digital tools and accountability mechanisms, while the latest edition emphasised source sustainability, convergence with employment schemes and data-driven planning for rural water management.

A new Decision Support System (DSS) developed in collaboration with BISAG-N was also presented at the event. The digital tool integrates hydro-geomorphological, climatic and spatial data to help districts scientifically assess and protect water sources, prepare District Source Sustainability Action Plans (DSSAPs) and monitor progress through digital dashboards.

Director (NJJM) YK Singh said that while 81.21 per cent of rural households now have tap water connections, around 85 per cent of the rural drinking water demand still depends on groundwater, stressing the need for community-led scientific water management.

District collectors from Maharashtra, Himachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, and Jharkhand shared best practices from the field, including solar-based water supply systems, women-led water governance models and technology-driven monitoring mechanisms.

In Gadchiroli, Maharashtra, the combined implementation of piped and solar energy-based mini water supply schemes helped raise Functional Household Tap Connection (FHTC) coverage from 8.37 per cent to 93 per cent. The district presented its Solar Dual-Pump Mini Water Supply Model designed to provide uninterrupted drinking water to remote and Naxal-affected areas. To ensure long-term source sustainability, it is exploring Honeycomb Technology-based rainwater harvesting systems to enhance groundwater recharge, according to a statement.