In a significant move to strengthen rural drinking water systems, 233 village panchayats in Fatehabad district have been entrusted with the task of managing water supply in their areas under the new Operation and Maintenance Policy-2026. The decision is aimed at making rural water management more accountable, efficient and self-reliant.
Under the policy, panchayats will handle drinking water distribution, meter installation, billing, maintenance of infrastructure and grievance redressal. In addition, an amount equal to the funds collected as water bills will be provided to the panchayats, giving them financial strength to improve infrastructure and carry out repairs or expansions as needed.
A meeting was held at the Public Health Engineering (PHE) office in Ratia, where Subdivisional Engineer Anchal Jain explained the policy in detail. He said increasing local participation in water management will ensure better services for villagers and improve accountability at the grassroots level.
The policy also includes rural women through Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Women helping with water bill recovery will receive 10 per cent of the collected amount as incentive. The provision is expected to provide economic benefits to women while creating employment opportunities at the village level.
The panchayats will be responsible for issuing new water connections, metering, distributing bills, monitoring payments, resolving complaints and checking water quality. They will also maintain pipelines, overhead tanks, pumps, and other water infrastructure, while acting against illegal connections and preventing water losses.
All work will be managed through the Biswas Portal, allowing panchayats to process new connections, close connections, install meters and resolve complaints online. Consumers will receive billing and payment information through SMS to ensure transparency.
The target is to provide 55 litres of safe drinking water per person per day. Water quality will be checked regularly using field test kits to ensure safety and prevent contamination. The PHE department will provide technical support, training, quality control and monitoring to panchayats, with the ultimate goal of establishing a 24-hour water supply system in rural areas.
Among the districts covered, Fatehabad block has the largest participation with 51 villages, followed by Ratia (44), Tohana (42), Nagpur (35), Bhattu Kalan (22), Bhuna (22) and Jakhal with 17 villages. Larger panchayats are expected to be included in the next phase, scheduled for 2027. Officials said the policy will improve service delivery, empower local governance and strengthen community participation in managing clean drinking water.
