Digitalisation is emerging as a key pillar for achieving water resilience and improving operational efficiency in water management. Government programmes such as the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation, and Smart Cities Mission are promoting the deployment of digital and smart solutions in the water sector to achieve water security. From a mere water supply infrastructure, the JJM has turned into a clean water delivery service. The digital initiatives under the mission have been a game-changer for the Indian water sector. At a recent Indian Infrastructure conference on “Digitalisation in Water Network Management”, Pradeep Singh, Director, Jal Jeevan Mission, Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, shared his views on the uptake of digital technologies for water network management, the key achievements and challenges, and the upcoming opportunities…
Current status
The JJM was launched by the government of India in August 2019 to provide functional tap water connections to all rural households. In these past five years, the coverage of connections has reached more than 76 per cent of the rural households. This is a tremendous leap from its inception when only 17 per cent of the households had access to tap water. However, the journey to achieve 100 per cent coverage continues and is targeted to be completed way ahead of the SDG 6.1 (safe water for all) target of 2030.
Technology adoption
The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation has been involved in the implementation of water supply systems. It introduced digital systems at the planning stage of the JJM to enhance the efficiency of water supply systems. For implementing projects at the desired speed and scale, a number of technologies and digital tools are used; and ground-level information is provided by field officers, which is then collected and integrated into a common database. The common database has helped in developing technologies and digital platforms such as the JJM-IMIS (integrated management information system), JJM-Dashboard, JJM-WQMIS (water quality management information system), field user application, JJM-Citizen Corner and Nal Jal Seva Application. These platforms help formulate data-driven strategies, in turn, ensuring informed decisions for sustainable water supply, and foster community involvement at all stages of project development (from planning to operations and maintenance).
The IMIS consolidates data at the household level, recording all the project investments and presenting the information in the form of dashboards. These are made available to engineers and field officers to enable the selection of relevant information and use thereof for existing systems and connections, and help them prepare detailed project reports for their respective villages in consultation with the community. Based on their findings, the field officers decide whether to opt for the surface water supply scheme or the ground water-based supply scheme.
With the support of these digital initiatives, field engineers can provide continuous and real-time data from the field which can be viewed and monitored on the dashboard. Besides, the dashboard is used by all the states as the single source of project review. It has helped to monitor the progress of the mission very comprehensively.
Key initiatives under JJM
Many new-age technologies are being deployed to facilitate the programme. These technologies are instrumental in streamlining projects, ensuring their efficient working and monitoring. Some of these technologies include geographic information systems (GIS), internet of things (IoT)-based monitoring, remote sensing, etc.
GIS mapping: The use of GIS allows visualisation of water infrastructure and enables precise resource management. It has been used for mapping and integrated with the PM Gati Shakti Portal, with information from many state governments overlaid as layers. It has helped in improving the service delivery of the programme.
IoT for measurement and monitoring of service delivery: IoT-based devices are used for real-time tracking of water flow, quality, and usage. To promote their use, a technology challenge was conducted within the start-up ecosystem, with consultation from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. These start-ups had to come up with a cost-effective and appropriate technology solution for managing the water flow, quality, and the amount of water used in rural areas. For this, a standard document has also been developed as a roadmap for implementing the measurement and monitoring system, including design, the kind of sensors to be used, the possible networks, roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders, etc.
Remote Sensing: Remote sensing techniques are planned to be used for assessing water availability and monitoring changes in water bodies. Appropriate data collection is necessary to achieve effective results from these techniques. A dialogue has been initiated with the Department of Water Resources to share data on the quality of groundwater and surface water resources. Once the data is received, different new-age technologies such as digital twins are expected to be used to improve water network operations.
A few early digital products of the programme include WQMIS and the Citizen Corner. On these platforms, all water sources are tagged with unique identification numbers, and water quality tested at NABL-accredited labs is made available. This information can be accessed at the state, district, and village levels. The trends of water quality parameters like pH, nitrate, etc. are also visible across different timelines.
For all these applications to work, the appropriateness of data and technology solutions is very important. For instance, Indore was facing difficulties with groundwater availability with two to three wells providing water to a large group of villages. Water is stored underground and then lifted for distribution. The water supply was made efficient with the installation of four sensors at the groundwater level and elevated water reservoirs at various levels of 0, 50, 75 and 100 per cent. As a result, the field officers were able to maintain a schedule of water supply and requirements without the use of flow meters.
Achievements and challenges
The digital upgradation under the JJM has proven to be a big advantage for achieving milestones. The uptake of technologies has resulted in improved monitoring and water distribution, thus, enabling better decision-making based on data insights, and increasing transparency in water management. This has enhanced the accountability and public trust in the department’s service delivery. However, there are some challenges that need to be overcome. These include constraints related to infrastructure (such as limited access to electricity and internet in remote areas), finance (like inadequate funding for digital infrastructure), and cybersecurity (such as cyber threats for water management data). There is also a need for better capacity building and training among stakeholders.
Future opportunities
As the programme progresses, the target of extending clean water access to all the rural households in the country remains paramount. The adoption of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence for better water management would further strengthen the digital capability of the JJM, improve operational efficiency, monitoring and surveillance, as well as optimise resource utilisation. Community participation with the engagement of locals would further bolster conservation efforts, collaborations and partnerships for resources and expertise, and appropriate policy support.
In the immediate five-year horizon of the programme, efforts would be made to scale up the digital solutions while involving communities in decision-making. A core focus will also be on bolstering backend infrastructure to allow expansive data analytics. This would pave the way for a more digital-centric approach and a technologically agile ecosystem. Further, water quality monitoring on bacteriological parameters can be made more sound with the acceptance of cutting-edge technologies. This would also require a continuous dialogue with partners and create knowledge-based organisations such as the Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation.
