Guwahati: The Assam government has introduced a new village-level mechanism to strengthen community involvement in rural drinking water and sanitation management by designating the Social Welfare Committee of every Gaon Panchayat as the Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC).
The decision has been notified by the Panchayat and Rural Development (P&RD) Department under Rule 56A of the Assam Panchayat (Constitution) Rules, 1995, which was introduced through the 2026 amendment. The framework is aimed at giving communities a greater role in monitoring water supply services and addressing local issues related to drinking water and sanitation.
Under the new arrangement, the Gaon Panchayat President will serve as the Chairperson of the VWSC, while an elected woman member will hold the position of Vice Chairperson. The Gaon Panchayat Secretary will function as the Member Secretary.
The committee will include elected ward members, including representation from an SC/ST ward, as well as two members drawn from Sujalam Shakti groups, Self Help Groups, Primary Agricultural Credit Societies or Large Area Multipurpose Cooperative Societies. A Section Officer from the Public Health Engineering Department and an Accredited Engineer from the P&RD Department will also be represented.
The government has stipulated that women should constitute at least 50 per cent of the committee’s membership, in accordance with the Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0 guidelines. Adequate representation of SC/ST communities has also been provided for under the framework.
The VWSCs will be responsible for supporting the regular monitoring and management of drinking water services within their respective Gaon Panchayat areas. Their work will include assessing the availability, quantity, quality and reliability of water supply and helping facilitate the resolution of complaints raised by consumers.
Monthly assessments of water-supply functionality will be carried out, while the committees will also assist with routine water-quality monitoring and disinfection activities. They will encourage the collection of approved user or service-delivery charges and support Water Users’ Committees associated with individual Piped Water Supply Schemes.
The framework also provides for an annual Jal Seva Aankalan, through which communities will assess the performance of rural drinking water services across villages and habitations. The assessment findings will be placed before the Gram Sabha to facilitate public discussion, feedback and identification of corrective measures.
The VWSCs will contribute monthly assessment information and community-level feedback to the process. The arrangement also includes provisions for Jal Baithaks, where Panchayat representatives, Water Users’ Committees, community members and officials can discuss water supply, quality, operation and maintenance, user charges and grievances.
Details of discussions and action taken on decisions reached during Jal Baithaks will be recorded and uploaded on the eGramSwaraj portal as required.
Sujalam Shakti groups will also assist with routine water-quality testing through Field Test Kits. Their monitoring will include parameters such as residual chlorine and turbidity, along with other basic indicators of water quality.
At the Gaon Panchayat level, the VWSC will additionally function as the Gram Panchayat Source Sustenance Committee. In this capacity, it will assist in maintaining records related to drinking water sources, source protection, water-quality monitoring and village-level water budgeting.
Despite the formation of the VWSCs, the Gaon Panchayat will continue to retain overall responsibility for drinking water and sanitation services within its jurisdiction. The Panchayat will approve village-level plans, supervise the functioning of the VWSC, support grievance redressal and facilitate the convergence of resources for water supply, sanitation and protection of water sources.
The government has clarified that the VWSC will not replace Water Users’ Committees established for individual Piped Water Supply Schemes. While those committees will continue to deal with scheme-specific responsibilities, the VWSC will operate at the Gaon Panchayat level, focusing on broader coordination, planning, monitoring and community participation.
The VWSCs will coordinate with the Public Health Engineering Department, District Water and Sanitation Mission and other competent authorities for technical assistance, water-quality monitoring, source sustainability and grievance redressal.
The new framework places greater emphasis on village-level participation and regular monitoring of drinking water services, with the aim of strengthening accountability and ensuring more reliable access to safe water in rural areas of Assam.
