Lok Sabha Question No. 1985 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-31
Subject: SVS and MVS under JJM
Ministry: JAL SHAKTI
Asked by: Dr. T Sumathy Alias Thamizhachi Thangapandian

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF JAL SHAKTI DEPARTMENT OF DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1985

ANSWERED ON 31.07.2025

## SVS AND MVS UNDER JJM

## 1985.   DR. T SUMATHY ALIAS THAMIZHACHI THANGAPANDIAN:

Will the Minister of JAL SHAKTI be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Single  Village  Schemes  (SVS)  and  in-village  components  of  Multi  Village Schemes  (MVS)  under  the  Jal  Jeevan  Mission  (JJM)  are  maintained  by  the  respective  Village Panchayats and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is a fact that one candidate per Village Panchayat is being trained under the Nal Jal Mitra multi-skilling programme to maintain the SVS and in-village components by the Village Panchayats and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Union Government has directed the State/UT Governments to set up drinking water quality testing laboratories to encourage water quality testing to ensure potable drinking water supply and advised them to identify and train five persons, preferably women, in every village to test drinking water quality; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the funds allocated for the said purpose?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR JAL SHAKTI (SHRI V. SOMANNA)

(a) Since August 2019, Government of India in partnership with States is implementing Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) - Har Ghar Jal to make provision of potable water to every rural household of the country, through functional tap water connection.

Since its launch, Jal Jeevan Mission is being implemented as a decentralized, demand-driven and community-managed  programme,  wherein  the  Gram  Panchayat  and/  or  its  sub-committee/  user group i.e.  Village  Water  &  Sanitation  Committee  (VWSC)/  Pani  Samiti  are  being  empowered  to plan, implement, manage, operate and maintain in-village water supply system to provide regular and assured tap water supply in rural households. Accordingly, it has been envisaged that with the support of PHED/ RWS  Department/ agency, in-village infrastructure development and management  to  be  looked  after  by  respective  Gram  Panchayat  and/  or  its  sub-committee,  i.e. VWSC/ Paani Samiti/ User Group, etc. and infrastructure for bulk transfer of water and distribution systems up to the village boundary will be the responsibility of PHED/ RWS department/ board/ corporation, as the case may be.

(b) For enabling the local village community to play their role in planning, implementation and to shoulder  the  responsibility  of  operation  and  maintenance,  Nal  Jal  Mitra  Programme  (NJMP)  has been launched in collaboration with Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to equip them with a comprehensive set of skills & develop 'Nal Jal Mitras', so that they can function as scheme  operators  and  are  able  to  carry  out  minor  repairs  and  maintenance,  including  preventive maintenance,  of  the  piped  water  supply  scheme(s)  in  their  village  as  skilled  masons,  plumbers, fitters, electricians, motor mechanics, pump operators, etc. NJMP envisages to ensure availability of at least one and preferably two 'Nal Jal Mitra' in each Gram Panchayat of country, for operation and maintenance of water supply infrastructure.

(c) & (d) Up to 2% of the allocation to States/ UTs under JJM can be utilized by the States/ UTs for Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance (WQM&S) activities which inter-alia includes setting up of and upgrading existing water quality laboratories at various levels, providing chemicals and consumables  to laboratories, procurement of equipment's, instruments, chemicals/ reagents, glassware,  consumables,  procurement  of  Field  Test  Kits(FTKs)/  H2S  vials  for  water  quality surveillance at grass root level and NABL accreditation/ recognition  of laboratories,  etc.

As  reported  by  States/  UTs,  as  on  28.07.2025,  there  are  2,775  drinking  water  quality  testing laboratories at different levels viz. State, District, sub-division and/ or block level labs in the country including 591 Water Treatment Plant located labs.

In  order  to  empower  citizens,  States/  UTs  have  been  advised  to  identify  and  train  5  persons, preferably women, in every village to conduct water quality testing using Field Testing Kits (FTKs)/ bacteriological  vials  at  village  level  and  report  the  same  on  the  Water  Quality  Monitoring Information  System  (WQMIS)  portal.  So  far,  as  reported  by  states/UTs,  more  than  24.80  lakh women have been trained for testing water using FTKs.

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