The Journey from Water Access to Water Wisdom

In the heart of North Bihar, everyone believes that water is endless. Wells brimmed, handpumps gushed, and no one imagined the day they would run dry. But last summer changed that illusion. According to the Central Ground Water Board’s Pre-Monsoon Ground Water Level Bulletin (May 2025), multiple parts of Bihar recorded a noticeable fall in groundwater levels compared to the previous year. Handpumps and borewells failed, wells emptied, and the once-assured flow of life halted. The community that took water for granted suddenly found itself dependent on the new piped supply.

For the first time, conversations in villages shifted, from abundance to awareness, from habit to responsibility. People began fixing leaks, harvesting rain, and, more importantly, talking about water, not just as a resource, but as a shared lifeline.

Across Bihar, similar stories echo through its floodplains and drought-prone districts. While the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) has brought tap water to over 98% of rural households (Ministry of Jal Shakti, 2025), a historic milestone, the question now is not about access, but about sustainability. The real measure of success lies in whether these systems remain functional, equitable, and community-owned years from now. Studies by WaterAid India (2023) remind us of that woman, though central to water management, are often excluded from decision-making. And a World Bank diagnostic (2023) concludes that sustainability depends most on one factor: local ownership.

It is within this reality that ECHO India, in partnership with Water for People India, began reimagining how capacity could be built not through one-off trainings, but through continuous, digital mentoring that keeps knowledge flowing as steadily as water itself.

The result is a quiet revolution: a live human network where pump operators, Panchayat members, and engineers learn, teach, and solve problems together, turning information into empowerment and water systems into symbols of collective resilience.

From Infrastructure to Sustainability

The Jal Jeevan Mission, launched in 2019, envisions “Har Ghar Jal” safe and adequate drinking water for every rural household through functional tap connections. Bihar, having already made remarkable progress under its Mukhya Mantri Gramin Peyjal Nischay Yojana (MMGPNY), entered this mission with a strong head start.

Yet, the real challenge goes beyond installation. True sustainability lies in ensuring that systems remain functional, equitable, and community-owned over time. The state’s success is built not just on infrastructure, but on the people; Anurakshaks (pump operators), Panchayati Raj institutions, and village water committees, who maintain, monitor, and take ownership of the systems that keep every tap running.

Digital Learning for a Digital Future

In 2024, ECHO India and Water for People India brought a new dimension to rural water governance: digital capacity building.

Using the ECHO Model its digital infrastructure “iECHO” water practitioners in Muzaffarpur, Bhojpur, Nalanda, and Sheohar became part of a first-of-its-kind learning ecosystem designed specifically for community-level water professionals.

The approach follows ECHO’s renowned “Hub and Spoke” model:

• The Hub (Water for People India and technical experts) anchors knowledge and provides mentorship.

• The Spokes, community participants, pump operators, and Panchayat representatives, connect locally to apply and share learning in real time.

This dynamic exchange turns traditional training into a continuous learning loop where field experiences shape discussions, expert advice solves problems instantly, and communities take ownership through shared accountability.

Breaking Comfort Zones: When Communities Go Digital

When the program began, scepticism was natural. “Can rural pump operators use digital tools? “Will online learning work in villages?”

The early sessions were filled with hesitation. Participants struggled with logging in, muting microphones, and sharing updates. But with steady mentoring, patience, and encouragement, the confidence grew.

Soon, sessions evolved into spaces of vibrant dialogue where local wisdom met technical expertise. A striking moment came from Sheohar, where a pump operator described recurring motor failures. A PHED official attending the session responded immediately, and within days, stabilizers were installed, solving an issue that once took weeks.

It was a powerful lesson in what real-time collaboration could achieve: faster solutions, greater accountability, and most importantly, trust. Today, many operators see themselves not just as workers but as custodians of a basic human right and safe drinking water.

From Learning to Leadership: Building Community Ownership

Alongside digital learning, Jal Chaupal (community dialogues) were made functional to make water governance more transparent and inclusive. These open discussions created space for villagers to raise issues like tariff collection, leakages, and equitable distribution and to solve them collectively. As one participant from Bhojpur reflected, “For years, we never questioned why one ward had overflowing water while another had none. But in Jal Chaupal, I asked and people listened.”

These conversations have shifted mindsets from dependence to ownership. Villagers now monitor systems, track leakages, and even manage local repair funds. The dialogue has moved from government offices to community courtyards a true decentralization of voice and responsibility.

Real Voices, Real Change

“Earlier, if the motor stopped, we waited for someone from the block office. Now I raise the issue directly in our training group, it gets fixed in days.” - Rakesh Kumar, Pump Operator (Anurakshak), Nalanda

“When operators and villagers share challenges in one space, we respond faster. We can see where community ownership is growing and where more support is needed.”- Mukhiya, Sheohar District

These voices reveal a powerful truth, change does not come from instruction alone, but from involvement and trust.

Bridging Gaps, Building Futures

Field experience reveals three critical areas where the ECHO Model is driving transformation:

1. Skill Gaps: Continuous digital mentoring builds confidence and competence among rural operators.

2. Communication Gaps: iECHO connects communities, officials, and NGOs thereby reducing delays in action.

3. Ownership Gaps: Integrating community dialogue embeds accountability and shared responsibility.

Through its “All Teach, All Learn” approach, ECHO model helps in transforming knowledge into collaboration.

Bihar’s story demonstrates that when technology is rooted in trust and inclusion, it can transform governance at scale.

Encouraged by Bihar’s progress, partners are now exploring replication in West Bengal and Assam. The ECHO Model’s adaptability means the same iECHO platform can train engineers, Jal Mitras, or village committees across states, each learning from one another’s experiences.

This expanding digital learning ecosystem represents a movement toward knowledge equity, where a pump operator in Sheohar can share insights with peers in Guwahati without ever leaving his/her village.