Sukma, May 03, 2026: Kamal Kishore Soan, Additional Secretary to the Government of India and Mission Director of the National Jal Jeevan Mission, has chaired a review meeting regarding the Jal Jeevan Mission from the Sukma Collectorate in Bastar division of Chhattisgarh.
The meeting involved the Collectors of all districts across Chhattisgarh, including those in the Bastar division.
During the meeting, detailed discussions were held regarding the progress of works under the Jal Jeevan Mission, drinking water arrangements, and potential issues likely to arise during the summer season.
During the session, Soan sought information from the Collectors of all districts regarding the current status of ongoing works under the Jal Jeevan Mission, their progress, various challenges being faced, and the action plans formulated to resolve them.
He also reviewed the status of potential drinking water crises—given the rising temperatures—and the efforts being undertaken to mitigate them.
Issuing directives, he stated that in areas currently facing drinking water shortages, the specific problems must be identified and resolved within a stipulated timeframe. This is to ensure that no family has to face a water crisis and that the benefits of the scheme reach every last beneficiary in the district.
Soan emphasized that in areas where drinking water issues currently persist, information should be gathered to ascertain the sources from which villagers are presently obtaining water. Such areas should be mapped, and alternative facilities—such as tube wells and solar pumps—should be provided.
During the meeting, he issued instructions to provide training to at least one individual in every village. This initiative aims to enable the resolution of minor technical issues—arising in the borewells, solar pumps, and drinking water supply systems established under the Jal Jeevan Mission—at the local level itself.
Additionally, directives were issued to identify—through a ‘Water Service Assessment’—those families and areas that have, thus far, remained deprived of the scheme’s benefits, so that they too may be brought under the ambit of the Jal Jeevan Mission.
He directed that special attention be paid to ensuring the availability of clean drinking water for children studying in residential schools and hostels, and to preventing any water shortages in these institutions.
At the conclusion of the meeting, all district Collectors across the state were instructed to coordinate with the Department of Panchayat and Rural Development to formulate an effective action plan for water-related works under the Gram Panchayat Development Plan.
During the meeting, Jitendra Shukla, Director of the Chhattisgarh Jal Jeevan Mission, and Doman Singh, Divisional Commissioner of Bastar, were present.
Sukma Collector Amit Kumar, Additional Mission Director Onkesh Chandravanshi, Chief Engineer G.L. Lakhera, Superintending Engineer Kailash Madhariya, SDO Gaurav Sonkia, and other officials were also present.
