Andhra Pradesh Reaffirms Commitment to Scale Safe Drinking Water Through In-Line Chlorination Under Jal Jeevan Mission 2.0
State conclave in Vijayawada brings together government officials, engineers, development partners and communities to accelerate safe drinking water access through In-Line Chlorination technology across rural Andhra Pradesh
Reinforcing its commitment to providing safe and sustainable drinking water to rural households, the Government of Andhra Pradesh, through its Rural Water Supply & Sanitation (RWS&S) Department, partnered with Evidence Action India to host the State Conclave on Safe Water Through In-Line Chlorination (ILC) at the Andhra Pradesh State Institute of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (APSIRD&PR) in Vijayawada.
The conclave brought together senior government officials, engineers, development partners, researchers and community representatives to discuss strategies for scaling up In-Line Chlorination technology across the state under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) 2.0.
The event marked a significant milestone in Andhra Pradesh’s efforts to strengthen water quality management, with the state outlining its ambition to extend In-Line Chlorination to all feasible Single Village Schemes (SVSs) to ensure safe and chlorinated drinking water reaches every household.
Delivering the keynote address, K. Venkata Krishna, Officer on Special Duty to the deputy Chief minister and Additional Secretary, Government of Andhra Pradesh, highlighted the state’s vision for safe water access and emphasized the importance of habitation-specific planning. “Every habitation needs a clear roadmap for safe drinking water. The RWS&S and PR&RD Department have committed to mobilizing local, mandal, and state-level systems to translate these plans into action and accelerate access to safe and sustainable drinking water for all,” he said.
During the conclave, dignitaries released a compendium titled “Safe Water that Transforms Lives,” showcasing impact stories and experiences from communities benefiting from safe water initiatives. They also launched the LIVE ILC Dashboard, a real-time monitoring platform aimed at improving oversight, transparency and operational efficiency of ILC systems across implementation areas.
Opening the proceedings, B. Hare Ram Naik, Chief Engineer and Project Director, RWS&S Department, stressed the critical role of water quality in public health and highlighted chlorination as an essential safeguard against waterborne diseases. “Through In-Line Chlorination, Andhra Pradesh is strengthening its commitment to ensuring safe and chlorinated drinking water for every household under JJM 2.0,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, Anurag Taneja, Associate Director, India Safe Water Program, EAII Advisors, underscored the readiness of the technology and the importance of collaborative implementation. “The evidence is clear, and the technology is ready. What today’s conclave has demonstrated is that under the government’s leadership and community ownership, the State is well-positioned to take safe water to scale through In-Line Chlorination,” he noted.
A dedicated technical training session was also organized for more than 80 Assistant Engineers, Superintending Engineers and District Superintending Engineers from across Andhra Pradesh. The training focused on ILC installation protocols, operation and maintenance procedures, and effective utilization of the LIVE ILC Dashboard.
The conclave also featured a high-level panel discussion on scaling ILC across Andhra Pradesh, addressing policy frameworks, financing mechanisms and implementation pathways. The discussion was attended by senior officials including Satyanarayana, Managing Director, Jal Jeevan Mission Corporation and former Chief Engineer, RWS&S Department; R. Suresh, Chief Engineer; Ram Mohan, former Engineer-in-Chief; N. Venkateswarlu, Executive Engineer; Ramnath Reddy, Joint Director, Panchayati Raj; and Srinivas Chary, Advisor, Evidence Action and former Director, UGID, ASCI.
The conclave concluded with a strong consensus on the need to strengthen water quality systems through institutional leadership, technical capacity enhancement, real-time monitoring and active community participation.
As part of the initiative, Evidence Action, in partnership with the RWS&S Department, will install around 400 In-Line Chlorination devices across Andhra Pradesh. Simultaneously, the state government will develop a roadmap to scale the technology across all feasible Single Village Schemes, further cementing Andhra Pradesh’s position as a leader in safe and sustainable rural drinking water supply.
