In a significant step towards ensuring sustainable and uninterrupted rural drinking water supply, the Tripura Government has introduced an Operation and Maintenance (O&M) Policy for the first time under the Centre's Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).

The new policy aims to strengthen the long-term management of rural water supply systems while enabling prompt resolution of minor technical issues at the local level, thereby ensuring safe and quality drinking water for rural households.

Under the policy, the Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) formed in every Gram Panchayat and ADC Village will be responsible for routine maintenance, including repairing minor pipeline leakages, valves and taps, operating water supply motors, maintaining cleanliness, and addressing other day-to-day operational issues. This decentralised approach is expected to facilitate quicker response and improved service delivery within villages.

Major infrastructure such as Water Treatment Plants (WTPs), Iron Removal Plants (IRPs), innovative water supply schemes, and other large-scale maintenance works will continue to be managed by the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DWS) under the Public Health Engineering Department.

To ensure the sustainability of the schemes, user charges will be collected from beneficiaries as per government guidelines. The collected funds will be utilised for electricity bills, operation, and maintenance of the respective water supply projects, helping maintain uninterrupted services in rural areas.

Debabrata Tripura, the officer in charge of the DWS Sub-Division in Sabroom, said that the newly introduced O&M policy has been implemented only in Gram Panchayat and ADC Village areas, while Urban Panchayats are not covered under its ambit. However, in the event of any major technical issue, the Public Health Engineering Department will intervene promptly to resolve the problem.

He informed that the Sabroom Sub-Division comprises three RD Blocks and one TTAADC Sub-Division Zonal Office. Under the new arrangement, Satchand RD Block has 39 Gram Panchayats, Rupaichhari RD Block covers 18 ADC Villages, while Poangbari RD Block includes four Gram Panchayats and three ADC Villages, bringing a total of seven local bodies under the system.

Expressing optimism over the initiative, Debabrata Tripura said the new Operation and Maintenance Policy would enhance community participation, improve transparency and accountability, ensure faster service delivery, and strengthen the rural drinking water supply system in a sustainable manner for the long term.