1. BACKGROUND
1.1 Water
is today perceived by the public as a social right, to
be provided free by the Government, rather than as a scare
resource which must be managed locally as a socio-economic
good. This perception has grown out of the fact that the
present rural water supply systems are designed and executed
by the Government Department/Board for the end-users.
Demand preferences of the people are generally not taken
into account while planning and executing the schemes.
In other words, rural water supply programme has been
adopting a supply driven approach. Experience has shown
that the present approach has led to the failure of a
number of water supply systems / schemes due to poor operation
and maintenance.
1.2 Since substantial investment had
been made in the sector and huge infrastructure and large
number of systems built up, it was felt in 1999, that
the water supply systems and programmes call for re- examination
to achieve sustainability. There was a general recognition
that a transformation from a target based, supply-driven
approach which pays little attention to the actual practices
and/or preferences of the end users, to a demand-based
approach, where users get the service they want and are
willing to pay for, was urgently required. Implementation
of a participatory, demand driven approach was expected
to ensure that the public obtained the level of service
they desired and could afford to pay part of the capital
cost and full operation and maintenance cost. Further,
full cost recovery of operations and maintenance and replacement
costs is expected to generate a sense of ownership and
ensure the financial viability and sustainability of the
schemes. The conditions under which people would be willing
to pay capital cost partially and operate and maintain
water supply schemes are (a) if they own the assets, (b)
if they have themselves planned and installed the systems
and been actively involved throughout in the process,
(c) if they have been trained to do simple repairs, (d)
if they know the Government will not maintain the asset,
(e) if they have sufficient funds for maintenance, and
(f) if they have to pay for operation and maintenance
of the systems. Hence, it was considered necessary to
institutionalise community based rural drinking water
supply programme with the Panchayati Raj Institutions
and local communities to generate resources and equip
them to plan, implement, use, maintain and replace water
supply schemes themselves.
1.3 Hence the Sector Reforms Project
was launched on a pilot basis in the year 1999-2000 and
is presently being implemented in 67 Districts of 26 States.
This was to be scaled up for the whole country from the
Tenth Plan. The experience gathered during the past three
years, have vindicated the reform principles. There have
been demands to scale up the reform initiatives in the
sector. The requests revolved round the fact that it was
Gram Panchayats where the reforms are to be implemented.
Thus, if the Village / Block level Panchayati Raj Institutions
or User Groups come forward and agree to adhere to the
reform principles, water supply schemes can be taken up
by them in those areas. According to the expectations
and the needs to scale up reforms in the water sector
through out the country, the Sector Reforms Project has
been slightly improved and is launched as Swajaldhara
on 25th December 2002.
2. PRINCIPLES
3.1 Swajaldhara has certain fundamental reform
principles, which need to be adhered to by the State Governments
and the Implementing Agencies. The principles are as follows:-
(i) adoption of a demand-responsive, adaptable approach
along with community participation based on empowerment
of villagers to ensure their full participation in the project
through a decision making role in the choice of the drinking
water scheme, planning, design, implementation, control
of finances and management arrangements;(ii) full ownership
of drinking water assets with appropriate levels of Panchayats,(iii)
panchayats / communities to have the powers to plan, implement,
operate, maintain and manage all Water Supply and Sanitation
schemes,(iv) partial capital cost sharing either in cash
or kind including labour or both, 100% responsibility of
operation and maintenance (O&M) by the users ;(v) an
integrated service delivery mechanism ; (vi) taking up of
conservation measures through rain water harvesting and
ground water recharge systems for sustained drinking water
supply; and (vii) shifting the role of Government from direct
service delivery to that of planning, policy formulation,
monitoring and evaluation, and partial financial support.3.2
Swajaldhara will have two Dharas (streams). First Dhara
(Swajaldhara I) will be for a Gram Panchayat (GP) or a group
of GPs or an intermediate Panchayat (at Block / Tehsil level)
and the Second Dhara (Swajaldhara II) will have a District
as the Project area. Swajaldhara - I3.3 States can implement
Swajaldhara in Blocks / Gram Panchayats in the districts
outside the Swajaldhara II project districts. In such cases
all the fundamental reform principles are to be followed
in those areas. Thus, the lowest unit for implementing the
reform initiative under Swajaldhara –I would be a Gram Panchayat.
A group of Gram Panchayats or the Intermediate Panchayat
could also come up with project proposals. Swajaldhara –I
being primarily for a Gram Panchayat should normally have
small drinking water schemes. Multi-Gram Panchayat schemes,
while not prohibited, would require specific and precise
formulation of capital cost sharing, operation and maintenance
arrangements and cost collection mechanisms.3.4 Specific
proposals under Swajaldhara - I will be sanctioned by the
District Water and Sanitation Committee (DWSC) provided
the projects conform to the Guidelines of Swajaldhara.3.5
If more than 50% of Blocks/Gram Panchayats in any particular
District opt for rural water supply schemes under Swajaldhara
–I, the State Government could consider posing / taking
up the entire District under Swajaldhara –II to the State
Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM).Swajaldhara – II3.6
The District is the unit for implementing the reform initiative
under Swajaldhara – II. The State Governments would identify
districts where chances of success of Swajaldhara are high
and prepare proposals for implementation of Swajaldhara
II. Such requests should have project proposal along with
Project Implementation Plan (PIP) and Detailed Project Report
(DPR). The District selection under Swajaldhara –II will
be made by the State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM)
in all States / Union Territories.
3. Enabling Environment
4.1 For the proper and effective implementation
of Swajaldhara Projects the following enabling environment
is essential: (i) Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) are
to be vested with functions and finances, and supported
with functionaries to carry out the responsibilities of
drinking water supply scheme planning, designing, implementation,
operation, maintenance and management. (ii) Village Water
and Sanitation Committee will have to be a committee of
Gram Panchayat. (iii) States would need to enact and implement
law on effective ground water extraction control, regulation
and recharge. (iv) Institutional strengthening and capacity
development of the State, District, Block, Gram Panchayats
and the community level institutions is necessary. State
Government should have an effective State Water and Sanitation
Mission with a competent support organisation for implementation
of Swajaldhara. (v) State Government should integrate
water conservation and rain water harvesting schemes with
the drinking water supply schemes. (vi) Rural drinking
water, sanitation, health, and hygiene programmes need
to be integrated at the State, District, Block and GP
levels.
4. Memorandum of Understanding
4.2 In order to avail of funds under Swajaldhara
I and II, the State Governments would enter into Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) with the Department of Drinking
Water Supply, Ministry of Rural Development, Government
of India. There would be commitment of the State Government
to the reform principles in the Water and Sanitation Sector
and to promote through out the State the Swajaldhara principles.
Each State Government would be required to clearly indicate
State vision, identified road map and milestones. Each
State Government would be required to prepare a comprehensive
Vision Statement, Action plan and agreed time frame for
initiating and scaling up reforms in the sector. It should
address issues like institutional reforms, integration
of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene, Capital cost sharing
principles, water tariff/charges, operation and maintenance
of systems, and institutional mechanism for implementation,
role of Panchayati Raj Institutions, NGOs, and CBOs; water
quality; water conservation measures including legislative
action. Further, performance indicators will be laid down
in the Memorandum of Understanding which would be periodically
reviewed by both Central and State Governments. The MOU
will take into account State specific factors and incorporate
milestones which are in consonance with the reform principles.
Flow of funds under the Swajaldhara and Total Sanitation
Campaign would depend upon the performance of the State
Governments in relation to the agreed programmes, which
would be evaluated by independent monitors / supervisory
missions. 4.3 In the MOU, stress would be on adherence
to the reform principles by all the stakeholders, viz.
State Government, Panchayati Raj Institutions, Non Government
Organisations, and User Groups. It would incorporate action
points, which address the issues of quantity, quality,
conservation and sustainability of drinking water sources
and improved sanitation and hygiene in the community.
Towards this end, action points for all stake holders
will be identified, strategy agreed upon and implementation
time-frame laid down in the MOU. Government of India,
in turn, will also specify the system of incentives and
disincentives for the State Governments.
5.
Community Contribution
5.1 The minimum
share of community contribution for 40 litres per capita
per day (lpcd ) service level will be 10 percent of the
estimated capital cost of the project and funding by Government
of India would be restricted to 90% of the capital cost.
5.2 In case of all habitations fully covered
in the States, with 40 lpcd drinking water facility, the
service level can be improved to 55 lpcd with 20 per cent
of the capital cost to be borne by the community. In such
States, in case of water supply schemes providing more
than 55 lpcd, the additional incremental cost would have
to be borne by the community / Panchayati Raj Institutions/
State Government. Funding by Government of India would
be restricted to 80 per cent of the capital cost of 55
lpcd schemes only.
5.3 The community contribution towards the capital
cost of schemes could be in the form of cash / kind/ labour
/ land or combination of these. However, at least 50%
of the community contribution will have to be in cash.
In case community contribution is more than 10% of the
scheme cost, the excess amount shall be taken into operation
and maintenance fund.
5.4 Contribution from the community based institutions
/ organisations like Youth Club, Self-Help Groups, local
Institutions and Gram Panchayats may also supplement the
community contribution. However, such contribution will
be over and above the community contribution and will
not be included as part of the community contribution.
Further, contribution from Member of Parliament Local
Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) or Member of Legislative
Assembly Constituency Development Scheme (MLACDS), which
are Government Programmes, is specifically prohibited.
6.
Operation, Maintenance and Management (O&M)
6.1 Operation,
maintenance and management cost of the water supply schemes
will have to be fully borne by the concerned Community
/ User Group / Village Water and Sanitation Committee
/ Panchayati Raj Institution. This would include recurring
costs like salary of operators, electricity charges as
well as cost of periodic repair and renewal. It would
be imperative on the part of the Panchayati Raj Institution
/ community to have a full understanding and appreciation
of the likely O&M costs of various technology options
before they select the technology for their water supply
scheme.
6.2 The Gram Panchayat which has opted
for a new scheme and / augmenting the existing scheme,
should take over the O&M of the existing schemes in
the respective area. Towards this end, the Gram Panchayat
/ User group will contribute to an Operation & Maintenance
(O&M) Fund. The size of the corpus should be sufficient
to meet the O&M cost of the scheme for at least six
months. This corpus should remain intact and may be made
use of to meet renewal / replacement / major repairs cost
.
6.3 Gram Panchayats would require to
mobilise funds through levy and collection of user charges
for the operation and maintenance of the schemes taken
over. Further, upon completion of Swajaldhara schemes
under both the streams and their successful operation
for at least 12 months from the date of completion, Government
of India may provide up to 10% of the capital cost as
a one-time incentive to the O&M Fund created by the
Panchayati Raj Institution / User Group and the State
Government should also make an equal matching contribution
to the O&M Fund.
6.4 The District Panchayat / DWSC shall
take steps to provide training to persons selected by
the Gram Panchayat / community to operate and maintain
the drinking water schemes. Funding for the capacity development
of Panchayat and Users Group functionaries will be met
from the Swajaladhara.
6.5 It is difficult to have all Gram
Panchayats in a District under Swajaldhara simultaneously.
They are taken up batch by batch. Under Swajaldhara-I,
ARWSP funds for O&M will be available for non-Swajaldhara
Gram Panchayats.
6.6 Since funding for operation and maintenance
will not be available under ARWSP for all the villages
in a Swajaldhara project district under Swajaldhara -II,
the State Governments may continue to provide funds, if
necessary, for O&M for non-Swajaldhara Project Gram
Panchayats from their own funds to the Gram Panchayat
till the Gram Panchayat is covered under the Project.
However, the State Governments should take positive steps
to hand over existing rural water supply schemes to GP
/ VWSC, after undertaking requisite rejuvenation / repair
works under the guidance / supervision of GP/ VWSC, for
operation and maintenance after a specified date (to be
decided by the State Government) so that there is one
uniform rural water supply system in the District where
GP / VWSC meets full operation and maintenance expenditure.
Towards this end, communication and capacity development
activities must commence in the district at the earliest
7.
INSTITUTIONAL SETUP
7.1 The State
Government would be the coordinating agency for the project.
Panchayati Raj Institutions should be the Implementing
Agencies. It is necessary to have a State Water and Sanitation
Mission (SWSM) under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary/
Officer of Chief Secretary rank. The SWSM may be a registered
society. The State Governments would provide necessary
operational flexibility to the SWSM for integrated implementation
of Swajaldhara and Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC). At
the District level, the District Panchayat / Zilla Parishad
shall perform all the functions hitherto performed by
the DWSM. At the village level Gram Panchayat / VWSC will
be the Implementing Agency.
7.2 State level
7.2.1 The State Water and Sanitation
Mission (SWSM) would have the following functions:
(i) Provide policy guidance on Swajaldhara Projects;
(ii) Periodic review of implementation of the MOU signed
with the Department of Drinking Water Supply ;
(iii) Consideration and approval of all schemes pertaining
to water supply and sanitation sector programmes funded
wholly or partially by the Government of India or the
External Funding Agencies (including ARWSP, Sub-Mission,
TSC);
(iv) convergence of water supply and sanitation activities
including Special Projects;
(v) coordination with various State Government Departments
and other partners in relevant activities;
(vi) monitoring and evaluation of physical and financial
performance and management of the water supply and sanitation
projects;(vii) arranging independent certification of
the quality of construction of Swajaldhara projects;
(viii) integrating and operating communication and capacity
development programmes for both water supply and sanitation.
7.2.2 The SWSM would have
(i) Apex Committee and
(ii) Executive Committee.
7.2.3 The Apex Committee would be headed
by the Chief Secretary/ Officer of Chief Secretary rank
with Secretaries in-charge of Rural Drinking Water Supply,
Rural Development (RD), Panchayati Raj (PR), Education,
Health, Finance, Planning, Information and Public Relations
and a Government of India representative as members. In
addition, three experts in the field of rural water supply
and sanitation could also be made members of the Apex
Committee. Secretary of the Department concerned with
rural water supply and sanitation shall be the Member
Secretary of the Apex Committee. This Committee shall
meet at least once in every quarter and not less than
4 times in a year
.7.2.4 An Executive Committee with about
15 members shall be constituted to aid and advise the
Apex Committee and shall be headed by the Secretary of
the Department concerned with Rural Drinking Water Supply
and Sanitation, and, an officer not below the rank of
a Joint Secretary of the same Department shall be its
Member Secretary. Chief Engineer in charge of Rural Drinking
Water Supply, officers from the Departments of Rural Development,
Panchayati Raj, Health, Education, Social Welfare, Planning,
Finance and Information and Public Relations shall be
ex-officio members. Experts, not exceeding six, in the
field of drinking water; communication and rural development;
community health and hygiene; community mobilisation;
Media; and NGOs may be co-opted as members.
7.3 District level:
7.3.1 At the District level, the District
Panchayat/ Zilla Parishad shall perform all the functions
which hitherto were being performed by the District Water
and Sanitation Mission (DWSM). However, in States where
elected District Panchayats are not in place, the DWSM
as a society under the chairmanship of the District Collector
could perform the functions. The District Water and Sanitation
Committee (DWSC) will be a Committee of the District Panchayat/DWSM.
7.3.2 The Drawing and Disbursing Officer
(DDO) of the District Panchayat / DWSM shall also act
as the DDO for all funds received under Swajaldhara.
7.3.3 The District Panchayat / DWSM shall
meet as often as possible but not less than four times
a year. It will consider and take note of all schemes
under Swajaldhara which have been technically scrutinised
and approved by the DWSC. It would review the implementation,
progress of Swajaldhara and the Total Sanitation Campaign
(where it has been launched) in the district.
7.3.4 The District Water and Sanitation
Committee (DWSC) will be headed by the CEO of the District
Panchayat where District Panchayat is performing functions
of DWSM. In other cases, DWSC will be headed by the District
Collector / District Magistrate. DWSC will have District
level officers such as the Executive Engineers of Drinking
Water, and District Panchayat; District Education Officer,
District Health Officer, Project Director DRDA, District
Panchayati Raj Officer, District Social Welfare Officer,
and District Information & Public Relations Officer.
In addition 3 members who shall be experts and/ from reputed
NGOs, may be co-opted into the Committee as members with
the prior approval of the SWSM. The Executive Engineer
of Drinking Water or District Panchayat or an Officer
chosen by the DWSM and concurred to by the Executive Committee
of SWSM shall be the Member Secretary of the DWSC.
7.3.5. The functions of the District
Water & Sanitation Committee (DWSC) are as follows:
(a) formulation, management and monitoring of Swajaldhara
projects;
(b) scrutiny and approval of the schemes submitted by
the Block Panchayat/ Gram Panchayat,
(c) selection of agencies and/ NGOs and enter into agreements
for social mobilisation, capacity development, communication,
project management and supervision,
(d) sensitising the public representatives, officials
and the general public about the Swajaldhara principles;
(e) engaging Institutions for imparting training for capacity
development of all stakeholders, and undertaking communication
campaign; and
(f) interaction with SWSM, State Government and the Government
of India.
7.3.6 The DWSC will utilise the official
premises, equipments, vehicles, telephone etc. of the
Zilla Parishad / line Department for the official activities.
Recurring costs like propulsion charges of vehicles, transport
hiring charges, telephone bills etc. can be met form the
project fund. No separate vehicle shall be purchased under
the project. If absolutely necessary, vehicles may be
hired as and when needed for the project purpose.
7.3.7 The Core Group may be positioned
to assist the District Water & Sanitation Committee
in implementing the project activities. The Core Group
will have professionals in the field of community development,
drinking water supply, engineering, rural management,
sociology/social sciences, communication, human resource
development, etc. The Core Group will meet at least once
a month and review the progress made under Swajaldhara.
It would give its inputs on communication and development
strategy, technology options, sustainable exploitation
of drinking water resources, community health, financial
viability of schemes, etc. to the DWSC. In order to make
the Core Group fully functional and effective, State Governments
and District Panchayats may have to be supported in this
regard, both financially and technically, by the Government
of India from within the project fund.7.4 Gram Panchayat
(GP) / Village Water and Sanitation Committee(VWSC)
7.4.1 VWSC under the Gram Panchayat will
implement Swajaldhara schemes in the Gram Panchayat. Each
Gram Panchayat taking up Swajaldhara schemes shall have
a Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) under
the chairmanship of the Gram Panchayat Pradhan / President
/ a Panchayat Member elected by the members of the VWSC
for implementation of drinking water supply schemes of
their own choice with active participation of the villagers.
7.4.2 In case the scheme covers more
than one Gram Panchayat, a Joint Committee may be constituted
at the Intermediate Panchayat level by involving concerned
Gram Panchayat representatives and the Intermediate Panchayat
Chairman.
7.4.3 The composition of the VWSCs and
Joint Committees can be decided by the State Government
under the Panchayat Act. However, women, SC, ST and poorer
sections, subject matter specialists, NGOs, CBOs should
be given due representation and at least one third members
of the VWSC shall be women.
7.4.4 VWSC will be responsible for
(i) ensuring GPs to take up Swajaldhara implementation
in each Gram Sabha meeting;
(ii) ensuring community participation and decision making
in all phases of scheme activities;
(iii) organising community contributions towards capital
costs, both in cash and kind (land, labour or materials);
(iv) opening and managing bank account for depositing
community cash contributions, O&M funds and management
of project funds;(v) signing of various agreements with
the DWSC;
(vi) planning, designing, and implementing all drinking
water and sanitation activities;
(vii) procuring construction materials/goods and selection
of contractors (where necessary) and supervision of construction
activities;
(viii) commissioning and takeover of completed water supply
and sanitation works through a joint inspection with DWSC;
(ix) collection of funds through a tariff, charges and
deposit system for O&M of water supply and sanitation
works for proper managing and financing of O&M of
the services on a sustainable basis; and empowering of
women for day to day operation and repairs of the scheme;
(x) creating and promoting integration of drinking water,
sanitation and hygiene in the Panchayat; and(xi) participation
in communication and development activities in other villages.
8. PROJECT ACTIVITIES
8.1.
Scheme Cycle
8.1.1 During project preparation, a detailed
project implementation schedule would be developed. The
projects under Swajaldhara would follow a scheme cycle
of about 36 months consisting of four distinct phases
and a post project completion phase. Since mostly small
schemes are likely to be taken up in a single Gram Panchayat
under Swajaldhara –I, the duration of scheme cycle could
be between 12-18 months. It may, however, be clarified
that the period indicated is indicative and in some cases
the projects may take a longer period.
8.1.2 Start up Phase – This phase should
not take more than 3 months. This comprises of –·
- Creation of the Institutional set-up
at State, District, and Gram Panchayat levels. ·
- Opening
of bank account for receipt of funds from the Government
of India at the district level by the District Panchayat.
·
- Generation of bench mark data through
Base line survey. ·
- Identification of NGOs and Training
Institutes, Resource Center etc. for activities like
communication, Information, Education and Communication
( IEC), Human Resource Development (HRD), capacity development,
social mobilisation etc. ·
- Monitorining mechanism to be put in
place (familiarising the proforma, questionnaire for
obtaining information from the field and submitting
information to the State Government, SWSM, and Government
of India)
8.2 Sensitisation and
Identification phase – This would involve –·
8.3 Training
Training
activities to equip the villagers in the Planning, designing,
implementation, operation, maintenance and management
of schemes of their choice. Training of members of the
User Group especially women / community is an extremely
important element of the reform principles. Towards this
end, the State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) could
make use of the State Institute of Rural Development (SIRD)
and its branches at Division/ District levels to provide
regular training courses for members of the User Groups,
Panchayati Raj Institutions, Implementing Agencies, line
Departments, NGOs etc. covering all aspects of water supply
and sanitation sectors. Training to be given at the following
levels:
- 1. Departmental
Level:-
(a) Behavioural sciences – interaction with the villagers.
(b)Sociological aspects (c) Importance of traditional
schemes and the needs to be propagated (d) Trainers’
training to train villagers for installation, O&M,
water quality testing, water recharging and harvesting
technologies.
- 2. District
Level and NGOs:-
(a) Management and supervision of project implementation;
(b) Identification and selection of agencies for various
activities of the project; (c) Recruitment (on contract
basis) of experts as per the requirement; (d) Monitoring
of physical and financial progress – collection and
use of data for the proper project implementation (e)
Various communication campaigns to be carried out and
related behavioural sciences – interaction with people;
and (f) Record keeping and documentation of project
implementation – both progress and process activities.
- 3. Gram Panchayat / VWSC Level:-
(a) Record keeping – financial management, transparency,
maintenance of minutes of proceedings of VWSC meetings;
(b) Communication with villagers – Communication activities;
(c)Technical matters like scheme planning, designing,
installation, specification of various components, procurement
and contracting procedure, etc.(d) Matters related to
O&M, replacement of the schemes, water quality testing
& monitoring, water harvesting systems & structures
etc. (during and after implementation of the chosen
scheme); (e) Collection of community contribution –
capital cost share, O&M cost, monthly collection
of water charges – maintenance of records; and (f) Crisis
and conflict management.
- 4. Villagers (selected / interested
villagers):-
(a) Technical matters like scheme designing, planning,
installation, specification of various components, procurement
procedures, contracting procedures, etc.; (b) Matters
related to O&M, replacement of the schemes, water
quality testing & monitoring, water harvesting systems
& structures etc. (during and after implementation
of the chosen scheme); (c) Collection of funds – capital
cost share, O&M cost, etc, and (d) Crisis and conflict
management
8.4 Scheme / System
Planning – This comprises of –·
8.5 Implementation and Commissioning:-
This comprise of –·
8.6 A continuous
process of monitoring and evaluation, review and mid-course
correction (if any required) will be carried out by the
District Panchayat, SWSM/State Government, Department
of Drinking Water Supply of Government of India , and
Implementing Agencies.8.7 All the above four stages may
co-exist at the same time in various places within the
same district.
9.NGO
Participation
9.1
Services of Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) could
be utilized for activities such as social mobilisation,
Communication and Capacity Development, Participatory
Rural Appraisal (PRA) / Participatory Learning and Action
(PLA), Human Resource Development (HRD), Training and
implementation of schemes. However, proper and transparent
selection criteria should be adopted. NGOs may be properly
oriented and trained in the drinking water and sanitation
sector reform principles before their services are utilized.
10.
Participation of Women
10.1 Since collection of drinking
water in villages is primarily done by women they need
to be actively involved in planning, choice of technologies,
location of systems, implementation, operation and maintenance
of water supply schemes. Towards this end, at least one
third members of the VWSC shall be women and they should
get preference in training for repair of handpumps, etc.
Formation of User Groups exclusively of women in villages
may be promoted.
11.
Technology Options
11.1 The technology
option for any village should be acceptable, adaptable
and affordable for the community. The selection of water
supply technology for a given locality could be determined
by a number of factors, such as technical feasibility,
users preferences and requirements combined with willingness
to contribute towards capital cost and O&M. Site specific
conditions such as availability and reliability of electricity
supply, quality of ground water etc. must also be factored
in by the community while making choice of technology.
The service level shall be as per the users preference.
Priority should be given to rehabilitation and / extension
of existing schemes.
11.2 A Manual consisting of type-designs
and indicative capital, O&M and replacement costs
for each of the technology options may be prepared by
the SWSM / DWSC and circulated to the Gram Panchayats
willing to take up projects under the Swajaldhara. However,
care should be taken that there is adequate room for local
level innovations and greater community participation.Multi
Panchayat / Village Schemes
11.3 Swajaldhara Project is ideally suited
for small village based self-sufficient schemes. However,
in some districts there may be need to go in for capital
intensive regional / multi-Panchayat / village schemes
on account of water quality problems like excess fluoride,
arsenic, brackishness etc; and distant location of drinking
water sources. The project may undertake the implementation
of such schemes. Water could be supplied to the GP/ community
at the village entry point with the Project bearing the
cost of bringing water to the village entry point and
the community bearing the cost of distribution system
within the village/habitation, subject to the condition
that community contribution is not less than 10 per cent
of the scheme cost within the village/habitation. GP /
VWSC / Communities can buy water in bulk and arrange for
distribution within the village. The State Government,
for the purpose of the Swajaldhara Project implementation
within the State would indicate the Policy on multi Panchayat/village
scheme relating to
(i) capital cost sharing between GOI,
State and community
(ii) operation and maintenance and
(iii) User fees, water charges and tariffs.
The Multi Panchayat/Village Schemes under Swajaldhara-
I & II within a district can be approved by the District
Panchayat / DWSM. In case of such schemes covering two
or more districts, the State Water and Sanitation Mission
(SWSM) will consider and sanction. It may, however, be
noted that financial viability of multi-village schemes
and problems of sustained operation and maintenance would
require high degree of managerial capability by the community
and these need to be carefully considered before multi-village
schemes are approved by the District Panchayat / DWSM
/ SWSM.
12.
Quality control
12.1 It is
extremely important that the quality of construction is
supervised at all times by the line Department providing
technical support to the Gram Panchayat / User Groups.
The responsibility for ensuring the quality of works would
be of the line Department / Agency at the District level.
12.2 The DWSC should work out an arrangement
under which a team of experts would visit once in a quarter,
inspect the works quality and give their report to the
District Panchayat / DWSC. In case defects are pointed
out in the report, the same shall have to be rectified
before further payments can be made to the project.
12.3 In addition, the State Water and
Sanitation Mission (SWSM) would also put in place a system
of random inspection of projects taken up under Swajaldhara
in the State by a team of experts. The inspection should
assess all aspects of the project including adherence
to the reform process mentioned in the Guidelines, which
is as important as the quality of civil works. Further,
this assessment has to continue even after the project
is completed although in such cases the frequency of inspection
could be reduced since the sustainability of the water
supply project is an integral part of the reform initiative.
12.4 Copies of inspection reports carried
out by agencies independent of the Field Engineers will
have to be attached along with the second and subsequent
instalment claims.
13.
Sustainability of sources
13.1 The communities
will be encouraged to identify and take up water harvesting
/ recharge activities to benefit the relevant drinking
water sources. Such activities will be essential component
of project funding.
13.2 The State Government will come up
with a detailed State Water Policy and Vision Statement,
which shall lay down the policy parameters in respect
of exploitation of ground water sources and protection
of drinking water sources. District Panchayats, Intermediate
Panchayats and Gram Panchayats shall also be encouraged
to take suitable local initiatives for ensuring sustainability
of safe water sources.
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