Union Govt asks States to integrate water, sanitation works to VB-G RAM G

The Centre has asked states and Union territories to integrate drinking water source sustainability, greywater management and sanitation works with the VB-G RAM G rural employment guarantee scheme.

The directive was issued earlier this month through a joint letter by the Ministry of Jal Shakti and the Ministry of Rural Development, which asked States and UTs to ensure convergence of resources for water security and sanitation and outlined measures for integrated planning, implementation and monitoring of such works.

The letter said water security has been identified as one of the four thematic focus areas under the Viksit Bharat-Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM G) Act, 2025.

The ministries directed that drinking water source sustainability works under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0, greywater management interventions and sanitation and solid and liquid waste management (SLWM) work under Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen) 2.0 be integrated into Viksit Gram Panchayat Plans (VGPPs) under the appropriate thematic categories of the Act.

The implementation must be guided by water budgeting, local resource assessment and water security plans.

The states were asked to give due priority to groundwater recharge, rainwater harvesting, rejuvenation of water bodies, watershed development, check dams, recharge structures, spring-shed management and other decentralised water conservation measures, particularly in water-stressed areas.

The letter recommended that the additional chief secretary, principal secretary or secretary in charge of the rural water supply/public health engineering department should be included in the state-level steering committee constituted under the Act.

States and UTs may also nominate dedicated nodal officers from the state water and sanitation mission and the rural development department, with corresponding district-level nodal officers, to facilitate coordinated planning, technical scrutiny, implementation and monitoring of convergent activities.

The ministries further asked States to technically align village action plans prepared under JJM 2.0 and SBM (G) 2.0 with VGPPs before approval by the gram sabha, ensuring optimal utilisation of resources and avoiding duplication.

They directed that drinking water source sustainability works, sanitation assets, greywater management structures and other convergent assets be registered and geo-tagged on the Viksit Bharat National Rural Infrastructure Stack to facilitate integrated monitoring, transparency and evidence-based decision-making.

States were also encouraged to use geospatial planning tools such as Yuktdhara, along with water budgeting and hydrogeological assessments, to identify and prioritise water conservation interventions following the ridge-to-valley approach.

The letter said the convergence arrangements may be institutionalised during the ongoing VGPP planning cycle so that investments under VB-G RAM G, JJM 2.0 and SBM (G) 2.0 collectively contribute to sustainable drinking water security, groundwater recharge, climate resilience and improved rural livelihoods.

It said close coordination among the departments of rural development, drinking water and sanitation, panchayati raj and other concerned departments at the state, district and gram panchayat levels will be critical for successful implementation.

Such convergence will strengthen rural drinking water security and improve ecological sustainability, climate resilience and the quality of life of rural communities, it said.

The letter also referred to the joint advisory issued by the two ministries on June 18, which advised states and UTs to accord the highest priority to water-related works under the VB-G RAM G Act and ensure minimum expenditure of 65 per cent in over-exploited and critical blocks, 40 per cent in semi-critical blocks and 30 per cent in safe blocks.

The communication was addressed to principal secretaries and commissioners in charge of VB-G RAM G in all states and Union territories, except Delhi and Chandigarh.