From source to tap: UP village takes charge of rural water supply scheme

Mirzapur (Uttar Pradesh): The Ambassador of Denmark to India, Rasmus Abildgaard Kristensen, recently visited Duhaua village in Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh to attend ‘Jal Arpan’, a ceremony marking the formal handover of the village’s rural water supply scheme to the local community under the national flagship programme Jal Jeevan Mission.

The event brought together Pawan Kumar Gangwar, District Magistrate; Vishal Kumar, Chief Development Officer, Vijeta, Additional DM, Namami Gange; Vinod Mishra, Country Manager of UNOPS in India; senior government officials; and over 400 community members, especially women.

The Ambassador visited the Water Treatment Plant at Lalganj in Naraina Kala village and was briefed on the plant's operations and Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, tracing the journey of water from source to tap.

This treatment plant is a part of a multi-village scheme sourcing its water from the Belan River. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, the treated clean drinking water is provided to 258 villages, of which three villages -- Amravati, Bhawanipur, Duhaua -- are UNOPS intervention villages.

The delegation then travelled to Duhaua village, where Jal Sahelis trained by UNOPS welcomed the Ambassador with a traditional reception, followed by a transect walk through the village to observe the rural water supply scheme in operation and to interact with the community members.

At the Overhead Tank in Parsia, the Ambassador spoke with the pump operator and participated in Jal Bandhan activity, symbolising the community's commitment to water conservation. He also planted a tree sapling on the premises. Together, these engagements, from the treatment plant to the village and the water infrastructure at the local level, offered a glimpse of the complete source-to-tap journey and the community ownership needed to sustain it.

This spirit of ownership was at the heart of the Jal Arpan programme that followed. The programme was held at Jay Prakash Narayan Sarvodya Balak Vidyalaya, Parsia, opening with a welcome to dignitaries and an address by the Gram Pradhan of Duhaua, alongside a live demonstration of water-quality testing and interaction with the community.

“Denmark and India have a long-standing and very strong partnership on water. We share a common understanding that water must be managed sustainably, efficiently and with the involvement of the communities who depend on it. Through our cooperation with India, Denmark is proud to support the Jal Jeevan Mission, working together with UNOPS to help bring reliable and safe drinking water to rural households. Denmark is proud to be the only international country partner supporting the Jal Jeevan Mission, and we see this as a reflection of the trust and depth of our partnership with India,” said Ambassador Kristensen.

He emphasized, “Ultimately, a water supply scheme is not about pipes, pumps or infrastructure. It is about people. It is about a child being able to grow up with access to safe water; about families having water close to home; and about women and girls having more time for education, livelihoods and family life. That is why today’s handover to the Village Water and Sanitation Committees is so important. Ownership by the community is essential for sustainability. The infrastructure we celebrate today will have its greatest impact when communities themselves are empowered to manage, maintain and protect it.”

The programme featured Jal Vandana (a children's prayer for water), followed by Jal Shringar, the formal ceremony handing over the water supply scheme to the community. Children performed a role play on water and sanitation, and the event closed with a collective Jal Shapath (water pledge), reaffirming shared responsibility for conserving and responsibly using water.

Amrita, a Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) member, outlined how the community would manage the scheme going forward, underscoring the role of VWSC as micro utilities responsible for the continued, sustainable delivery of water services.

“Through the UNOPS-Denmark partnership, we are proud to support the Jal Jeevan Mission and our shared vision of developing an 'ideal village' model. We must underscore the importance of strengthening water security by focusing on three key dimensions: availability, accessibility, and quality, always ensuring that no one is left behind. I also want to highlight how vital community empowerment is the key to long term sustainability of any mission. Moving forward, UNOPS is very interested in expanding our support to reach even more villages across Mirzapur,” said Vinod Mishra, Country Manager for UNOPS India.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

IANS

[email protected]