Drinking water Issues, Challenges, Initiatives and the Way Forward VENUE - HALL NUMBER -5 VIGYAN BHAWAN, NEW DELHI GROUP 5

Challenges Life force, therefore regular, timely, safe and hygienic and adequate supply-an essential duty of the state Internalisation as a freebie Habituated to receive, demand without any sense of responsibility No individual or bulk metered measurement anywhere Depleted vegetation or green cover in hilly regions

Challenges contd… Maintenance of quality of water as per WHO standards Need for conservation is not a felt need Lack of political will to levy charges for drinking water Lack of incentive, strategy to motivate panchayats or community -no reward plan like NGP

Challenges contd… Insensitivity towards wasteful flow of rain water or piped supply Lack of convergence with other schemes Lack of social audit No IEC component in NRDW programmes

Major issues: Quality, Quantity and Management

Operation and maintenance of the sources Ever increasing demand as a matter of right Apparent and unseen contamination Problem of scarcity in hill top areas Problem of plenty in foothills Wastage rampant causing glut, sludge, overflow of ponds Scarcity related law and order problems Ownership conspicuous by absence Non functional village level water and sanitation committees Limited function of District Water and Sanitation Committees G.P. has failed to deliver the desired result so far collection of water charges is concerned

Initiatives Involvement of SHG federation in a management of sources of supply in Maharashtra Sensitisation of Panchayats where tubewells are being installed now Convergence model emerging in Manipur_forestry, MGNREGS, Fisheriers and Tourism

Initiatives contd.. Success stories of Kassergood, Kerala, Barmer, Rajasthan, spring based water supply system in Odisha, conservation of water by GPs in Tamil Nadu Eco Task Force by ex service men in hilly areas doing good work in afforestation and water conservation

The Way Forward- Recommendations Community to be entrusted with the responsibility Meters to be installed in individual household Water charges to be collected GPs should be empowered with knowledge and man power Regular social audits, listing and highlighting the names of defaulters in social audit meeting to have a social pressure

Recommendations contd.. Incentive to be provided to GPs with practices of drinking water conservation and maintainance Creation of ground water recharge pits At the hill tops construction of reservoir arresting the flowing perennial water sources if any and construction of tanks for collecting of rain water, processing

Recommendations contd.. Creation of multipurpose water harvesting structure. Planning for water supply system should be done in a manner such a way that the most vulnerable and affected areas from health point of view, should be taken care up on priority basis. District vigilance and Monitoring Committee should regularly monitor the water supply aspect Tarrif mode can be on number of individuals per house hold

Recommendations contd.. Empowerment of Village level water and sanitation committees More effective role of PDs, DRDA /Zila Parishad in District Water and Sanitation Mission Dissemination of tried, tested, age old methods of conservation eg Bawries on Haveli/forts’ roof tops

Recommendations contd… Defunct tubewells should be re-designed as Recharge pits under Rain Water Harvesting structure under MGNREGS Gap between GP and Engineering departments should be bridged Minor maintenance t be handled by GPs but state should continue funding-in this case to GPs

Recommendations contd.. Field Test Kits for all GPs and notification of water sample test reports at village level through colour coding of Red, yellow, Green Mass mobilisation through slogans like ‘swachh jal, swachh jeevan’, jal hee jeevan Active role of Gram sabhas/ Social Audit in sensitising, ensuring proper management of safe drinking water