Jal Shakti Ministry Hosts Workshop on Sujalam Bharat, Water Management

The Ministry of Jal Shakti, as the nodal ministry leading the Vision for Sujalam Bharat, convened an important online workshop on the theme “Community and Institutional Engagement for Behavioural Change.” The initiative is part of the wider agenda to rejuvenate rivers, promote grey water reuse, and adopt technology-driven solutions for efficient water management.

The event, attended by representatives from States and Union Territories across India, focused on grassroots experiences, challenges, and policy gaps in sustainable water governance, underscoring the role of community participation and institutional convergence in creating long-term impact.

Setting the Tone

The workshop began with a welcome address by Shri Pratul Saxena, Member Secretary, Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) and Project Director, Atal Bhujal Yojana.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Archana Varma, Additional Secretary & Mission Director, National Water Mission (NWM), emphasized that the purpose of such engagements is to gather inputs from the grassroots level. “Workshops like these help us understand issues, challenges, and policy barriers directly from the field, so that necessary corrective action can be taken at the central level,” she said.

Key Presentation and State Showcases

Shri Pratul Saxena, who also served as the Nodal Officer for the workshop, made a detailed presentation on community and institutional engagement for behavioural change. He outlined:

• The conceptual framework of participatory water management.

• Key challenges faced in scaling community-based interventions.

• National schemes where community participation has been central to success.

This was followed by state-specific presentations, where several states shared their best practices and innovative models:

• Meghalaya: Highlighted participatory planning through village councils, integrating traditional practices with modern water conservation techniques.

• Gujarat: Showcased the role of Water User Associations (WUAs) and Sechai Salahkar Samiti in equitable irrigation. Women farmers from Mehsana demonstrated how community-led rejuvenation of water sources helped restore local groundwater.

• Andhra Pradesh: Shared the concept of Jal Shakti Kendras and the Magic Drain initiative, proposing a cycle where Gram Panchayat planning (on 2nd October) aligns with water budgeting (on World Water Day, 22nd March).

• Karnataka: Stressed strengthening local bodies and greater engagement of NGOs for capacity building, urging the government to encourage civil society in water schemes.

• Maharashtra: Discussed Participatory Water Security Plans, Groundwater Information Centres, and village competitions and farmer camps that foster community ownership of water budgeting.

• Telangana: Presented rainfall-based groundwater recharge strategies, demonstrating the potential of nature-based solutions in drought-prone regions.

From the academic sector, Ms. Rengalakshmi, Executive Director, M. S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), Chennai, underlined the importance of:

• Effective convergence of government schemes.

• Judicious use of MGNREGS funds for water conservation.

• Addressing climate change impacts on groundwater availability. She also identified key factors that enable successful community engagement and behavioural change in water management.

Voices from the Grassroots

Adding a strong community perspective, women leaders Meenakshi Ben Panchal and Lilaben Patel from Mehsana, Gujarat, narrated how declining groundwater levels had once disrupted their daily lives. Through women-led water monitoring, testing, and management, local communities successfully improved water availability. Their stories reflected how empowered women can become champions of water conservation.

Key Takeaways and Way Forward

The session concluded with Dr. Sudershan Sahu summarizing the deliberations. He highlighted the importance of:

• Strengthening community institutions for long-term sustainability.

• Leveraging grassroots leadership, especially women’s participation.

• Promoting state-driven innovations in water conservation.

• Scaling best practices across regions to achieve the Sujalam Bharat vision.

Dr. Sahu thanked the participants for their valuable contributions and reaffirmed that community-centric approaches, backed by institutional support and technology, are essential for building water-secure and climate-resilient communities.

Towards Sujalam Bharat

The workshop forms part of the Departmental Summit on Sujalam Bharat, which seeks to integrate collective action across states and communities for river rejuvenation, grey water reuse, and efficient water management.

As the Ministry of Jal Shakti continues to engage states, civil society, and knowledge institutions, the Vision of Sujalam Bharat is steadily being translated into reality — with an emphasis on participatory governance, sustainable practices, and behavioural transformation at the grassroots level.