A gram panchayat shows the way by getting people to pay for ltheir owI water supply schemes n the midst of green valleys, a ,jpo large number of Kerala's scenic villages face acute drinking water . shortage. Ollavanna and Pantheerankavu in Kozhikode district would have remained two ' A? such villages had the local EJ - community not decided to take matters into its own hands. In 1987, when villagers of iU - Ollavanna Gram Panchayat started collecting funds for their own mini ,r,f ;P_ g ;7wrji piped water schemes, just three small water supply schemes constructed and operated by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) existed in the village. These supplied maintenance of these systems was scheme. A typical scheme has an water to about 1,000 households- always a problem. in':ake well, overhead tank and a only a quarter of the total population Faced with an acute water supply distribution system with household of the panchayat - through 25 public problem, the people of Ollavana connections. Expertise, material and standposts and 42 private decided to intervene and experiment laoor are sourced locally. Poorer connections. Besides, operation and with operating a rural piped water families pay their contributions in supply scheme with installments. private resources Once the schemes are up and and funds. ruinning, operational improvements The scheme, have followed automatically. initiated in 1987, Different schemes have distinct, but works on fairly e:qually simple, procedures for 6 4 *, j R o simple principles. A consumption, maintenance and cooperative society billing. Even technology has been L . ,t1 , a ;,_ ' ti>' | ; j0; is formed, which geared to meet local needs. In - i =,:i. . 5 P _L =_i charges a Kambiliparamba, the society membership fee of eliminated the need for a pump !§ - = .anything between operator by installing a sensor- Rs 4,500 to based switching system that starts Rs 12,500 per tl-e pump when water in the tank family, depending on falls below a certain level and stops the cost of the it when full. -* -ff l <' -societies that once an initiative is launched, funds are not a major ' t 3 - w * ) 1 ^ S _ * 4 problem. They have come from private sources. r FL '_t - ; j : W . _ = , ., . 8 Their success is now a shining example of what user interventior can do where government agencies - fail. The experiment has caught the - - ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~popular imagination in Ollavanna - -- A~ ---0 -- t--- , - _ ;i and today 26 water supply cooperatives are up and running in * -, ObSlB6p9 nxD | w 11the panchayat and another six are in - the pipeline. ___ *1< i | eths!rw iSr . b -~ J Villages like Ollavanna and ;,.~ ' 1-_--4! tKambiliparamba have proved that _willingness to pay' and 'willingness = ^ ]_F wto charge' for better services go hand in hand. The local communitv X has de-mystified technology and -X ffi e _ shown that local initiatives can and do succeed. The community does The by-laws of the typical society out institutional arrangements for not have to run after politicians arid running the water supply schemes holding GB meetings, finances, new bureaucrats when it can put up its have also evolved over time and with connections/transfers or even own commercially viable services. experience. Every year, the general dissolution of the society. Normally The experiments have also shown body (GB) elects an executive the assets of a dissolved society are that the private schemes are better committee (EC) whose office bearers handed over to a newly registered constructed, better maintained run the scheme. The EC's accounts society and not divided amongst and more cost-effective than and annual report are scrutinized by the members. those heavily subsidized or run the GB. The societies have worked It has been the experience of the by the state. w ' Gujarat Mahila Housing to promote community- FEEDBACK 3 | SEWA Trust's membership based demand responsive ERRATA: On page 6 of includes SEWA Union and approach in this sector is Jalvaani (Vol 2 No 3) it was However,results wrongly reported that the SEWA Bank. Our major laudable. However, results maxirmum subsidy for low i It is nice to read so objectives include improving can only be achieved if cost latrines was Rs 625. It IS many articles that focus housing, infrastructure and state governments are actually Rs 500. We regret on positive aspects of overall living conditions for made to implement the this error - Editor water supply and poor women working in the recommendations. For this sanitation. To my mind, informal sector. The issues a "carrot and stick policy" water control needs to be covered in Jalvaani fit in very will have to be applied. _ i n i i enacted at the lowest well with our work, and we level of governance, which find it very informative and B.R. Bansal is the panchayat. With reader-friendly. Chief Engineer (Rtd) increasing empowerment Punjab PHED of panchayats, there is Rehana Jhabvala Panchkula now a real chance for Executive Trustee these local self- Mahila Housing Sewa Trust o We would like to thank government bodies to SEWA, Ahmedabad you for sending us start playing their role Jalvaani. It was very effectively. I would like to educative and gave us congratulate you for your some new ideas. Barry Underwood efforts to disseminate Chief Executive information on the water M.S. Jayalakshmi Did you know that 75 percent Aga Khan Rural Support and sanitation sector Coordinator of rural Indians do not have Program - India through Jalvaani. The Grama Vikas, Kolar latrines? Ahmedabad Union Cabinet's decision 2 editorial r, The recurrent financial Jaivaani believes in highlighting positive stories and and investment bringing to our readers best practices and innovations .-, . requirements of the sector happening in the rural water supply and sanitation sector -< s: R vastly exceed the public (RWSS) in remote corners of the country. -,-jF:.'.i ' funds likely to be available. Feedback received by the Editorial Board indicates that A study has been conducted our "positive stories" are being well received and in this by the WSP-SA to analyze NEW . TM .EfNT issue, too, we locus on successful innovations and what has become of the RLIRAL WA TER S initiatives, which have the potential to evolve into best promises made since Provision of safe drinking practices in the sector. independence to provide the water to people in rural The cover story is on village-level initiatives in RWSS poor free and safe household areas is top priority for the in Kerala. The Ollavanna project highlights that the Gram water. Pointing out that a Government of India. To Panchayat and the local community have succeeded in large number of poor people focus attention on the resolving local water supply problems through an still do not receive safe subject, it has created a innovative cooperative scheme, which can be replicated household water, the study new Department of Rural across the state. It is also perhaps the only case in the, focuses on 'willingness to Water Supply in the country where t he local community has been able to raise pay' and 'unwillingness to Ministry of Rural 100 percent capital cost as well as successfully charge'. The study has come Development and has implement O&MA with 100 percent community contribution. out with the following appointed Mr S.K. Tripathi The interview in this edition of Jalvaani shows how active conclusions: as its first Secretary. involvement of women through panchayats has made X Large number of RWSS more sustainable. people, supposedly Another impoDrtant story in this issue is on Self- unable to afford safe Employed Masons (SEMs) in Orissa. Under the SEM water, still do not receive i i * . scheme, local artisans, for a regular payment, will look it, and have to pay if they O . after repair and maintenance of hand pumps. The scheme do receive it. will not only generate employment for local youth but will a The huge subsidies possibly make O&M of hand pumps sustainable. The allocated to the sector I active involven ient of panchayats is another positive primarily benefit the aspect of this exercise as is UNIICEF's role in facilitating better-off. / the process. o The public authorities I The NGO story focuses on the SWAJAL experience in responsible for service 4 xr Uttar Pradesh. It highlights the fact that hygiene are generally ineffective. awareness carrpaigns go a long way in motivating and guiding the local community to achieve total sanitation. This has come out of the expenence in Banna village in -' -~ ' '' World Bank Institute and Nainital district. Worldte Wternk InstitsuthetorldaBankIn parts of West Bengal, arsenic in ground water has State Water Minister's the World Bank. increasingly becoming a problem. A number of Workshop on Rural Water * A meeting of the Global organizations and funding agencies are involved in Supply Policy Reforms in Water Partnership wi be tackling this issue. Jalvaani's technology section briefs India, December 7-8, Cdochin held at The Hague, readers on twc of the cheapest and most cost-effective (Kerala). Hosted by the Netherlands, in March 2000. methods of treating arsenic contaminated water Government of Kerala and A preliminary meeting will And remember, Jalvaani is meant to be an interactive the WSP-SA in be held in November 1999 journal, so please do send us your comments and association with the in Gujarat. suggestions. Editorial Board: P.V. Valsala Kutty and Parameswaran lyer W V Editorial Consultant: Satyajit Singh 4 Contributions, comments, suggestions and requests for subscription may be sent to: RPV. Valsala Kutty INSDOC, c/o RGNDWM, Block 11, 6th Floor, CGO, Director New Delhi 1 10 003, Tel: 436 1656, 1950 & 2106; Fax: 436 3152; Rajiv Gandhii National Drinking Water Missiorn Email: rgndwm@sirnetd.ernet.in Government of India India Country Team, WSP-SA, 55 Lodi Estate, New Delhi 110 003 Tel: 469 0488 & 0489; Fax: 462 8250; Email: wspsa@worldbank.org Jalvaarni STATES t;Ip. maintenance person ives in the villx IIa Orissa government hands over maintenance and repair of hand pumps to self-employed mechanics *2 oor maintenance is a problem from among local - that has dogged many of the artisans. The SEM will 150,000-odd hand pumps be given training constructed by Orissa's Rural Water before he or she is Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) hired and will be paid Organization. Many of them have Rs 15 per month for not been in use for years, despite each hand pump in his the fact that simple repairs could or her charge. Each easily put them back in operation. It SEM will be given a is against this backdrop that the charge of maintaining state government decided to hand 20 to 25 pumps. over repair and maintenance of the The SEMs will hand pumps to the panchayats, carry out all minor hoping that the user community repairs and the RWSS would be more effective. Organization will The two-tier structure for the provide the spare maintenance and repair of hand parts. But it will be ' , . pumps in rural Orissa is an outcome the gram panchayat, of nearly 10 years of experiments in which will be responsible for the trained and in Kukudakhandi and UNICEF and DANIDA projects in overall management and monitoring Rengailunda blocks, hand pumps the state. of the hand pumps and hire the have been handed over to a total of At the base of the system is the SEMs. A sub-committee of the 47 SEMs. In seven other blocks in self-employed mechanic (SEM), panchayat, the village-level water the district, SEMs are undergoing selected by the gram panchayat and sanitation (WATSAN) training. It is estimated that a committee, will assist the gram SEM would, on an average, earn .}i, j panchayats and ensure that there Rs 400 to Rs 500 per month through - - 111 Iis community participation in the scheme. v is -- jthe project. But like all new projects, this ore -liz .-,, L SA mobile RWSS team for each too has its teething problems. The block, comprising a junior engineer Panchayati Raj and Rural and technical staff, constitutes the Development Department are 4 | - f second tier of the structure. This supposed to share the cost of mobile team takes care of all major paying the SEMs for the first three repair works. years, but the government UNICEF is assisting the Orissa departments have not been in a . government in handing over O&M of position to pay the mechanics for hand pumps to panchayats in the their services. e. --hv .. Si districts of Ganjam, Phulbani, UNICEF is now assisting by Kandhamal and Puri. providing the initial payments under UNICEF usually provides an agreement that the government - g' training, tool kits and spare parts to would refund it. It is also helping support the SEMs. If the SEM is a towards setting up of repair and woman, she gets a bicycle as well. maintenance funds under the All the stakeholders agree that WATSAN committees. These i the project so far has been a great funds would provide payments \z | 2 t&& vS............ -J $gM'"' .-i success. In Ganjam district, a total for the SEMs and also pay for of 68 SEMs have already been minor repairs. - 4 NGOs Jalvaani Villagers of Banna get together to make an uphill task look easy t was not surprising that it took and the role of the VWSC. Each coastructed a bathroom adjoining longer than usual to plan a cluster then chose a representative. the latrine. The corstructions sanitation project for Banna Once meetings and selections were exceeded the initial plan drawn up village. Sanitation projects have had completed, a general meeting of the by the villagers. The VWSC was limited success in the hills. revenue villages was called to ratify active in motivatinq and guiding the Therefore, in Banna, as in other hill the choice of representatives. The people, and when construction areas, the target for sanitation has gram pradhan and other started, the VWSC, along with been kept at 50 per cent. representatives of the panchayat CHIRAG, supervised the activities Situated in Dhari block of were also invited. and ensured quality control. Nainital, Uttar Pradesh, Banna is a The 12-member VWSC was The success of "he SWAJAL village that spans an altitude range adequately represented by all project in Banna has had a positive of 600-1,800 meters above sea sections of society with four women impact on nearby villages that are level. The Central Himalayan Rural and three SC/STs on it. The now being covered under the next Action Group (CHIRAG) started community selected all office- batch of the project. These villages, work in this village in the first batch bearers. The VWSC members were which have completed their planning of the Uttar Pradesh Rural Water given extensive training by CHIRAG phase, are extremely enthusiastic Supply and Environmental in the planning stages to give them about SWAJAL. They have not only Sanitation Project (SWAJAL) in the capacity to handle project- deposited the cash contribution, but 1996. Under the Hygiene planning activities including have also collected the local Environmental Sanitation Awareness construction of demonstration units material required for the (HESA) campaign, efforts were for latrines and soak pits. construction of hardware items. The made to give a 100 per cent As the HESA campaign was well- suiccess of the prcject in Banna can household sanitation coverage to received, the initial plan was to be attributed to the people's active the village. construct 143 latrines to cover 90 acceptance of the HESA campaign The first step was the formation per cent of Banna village. However and their desire to improve their of a Village Water and Sanitation as the implementation phase qjality of life. Other Bannas in the Committee (VWSC). Twelve progressed, every one of the 155 n-iaking are shattering the myth that hamlets in the village were identified households in the village sanitation has a limited coverage in by CHIRAG and discussions held to constructed latrines. All households the hill areas. explain the objectives of SWAJAL also constructed soak pits, and most 4~~~~~~~~~~ -s^t , t-' 0.5 r i " ;A' 7-rn. *. Jalvaani FUNDING AGENCIES -.. reforms he Ninth Five Year Plan continues SP-SA, funded by the publication of a quarterly Tto promote the reform agenda in the UK Department for newsletter. water sector. It enunciates some key International * Helping build institutional principles such as water being managed as Development (DFID), capacity to analyze/formulate a commodity and not as a free service; endeavors to assist select state and implement policy reforms in adopting a demand responsive and governments translate two states. Setting up a Policy participatory approach to service delivery; Government of India (GOI) Support Cell and strengthening and users being allowed to levy charges to Policy Reforms in the Rural a state training institution to cover full O&M costs. Twenty per cent of Water and Sanitation Sector provide human resource the funds under Accelerated Rural Water (RWSS) into ground reality. development and training to the Supply Program are being released to These policies of the GOI different stakeholders to states willing to adopt a demand promote a strategy for operationalize the new responsive approach in the collaborating achieving accelerated coverage, approach at the state level. pilot districts identified so far. improved sustainability and c Helping these two states e Andhra Pradesh: Chittoor, Guntur, improved water quality. Key actually implement the policy Mahbubnagar reform issues include greater reforms on a,pilot scale, which * Arunachal Pradesh: Lohit, West Siang community participation, would later lead to replication * Assam: Kamrup, Sonipur, Jorhat increased cost recovery from across the state. e Bihar: Dhanbad, Vaishali user charges and decentralized Through its activities in the * Gujarat: Rajkot, Mehsana, Surat authority from state level to pilot districts in two states, * Haryana: Gurgaon, Rohtak Panchayati Raj and community WSP-SA hopes to set a high o Himachal Pradesh: Sirmour level. It is believed that many of standard in pilot design, e Jammu & Kashmir: Srinagar, Udhampur these reforms can be realized capacity building, e Karnataka: Bellary, Mysore, Mangalore through demand-responsive implementation and monitoring e Kerala: Malappuram approaches. that will be either adapted or e Madhya Pradesh: Sehore, Gwalior The objective of the three- replicated in the other pilot * Maharashtra: Dhule, Amravati Nanded, year project is to assist in districts across the country. As Raigarh building capacity in two states the RGNDWM is piloting the * Manipur: Thoubal to implement institutional GOI reform process in 58 * Meghalaya: Ribhoi, East Khasi reforms to improve the districts across India, the WSP- 0 Mizoram: Aizwal South performance and sustainability SA project will run in * Nagaland: Kohima, Dimapur of rural water and sanitation conjunction with the activities # Orissa: Koraput, Ganjam & Bolangir projects. of the RGNDWM and the state * Punjab: Bhatinda, Moga The DFID-funded program governments that are * Rajasthan: Ajmer, Barmer, Sikar, Jaipur proposes to initiate a multi- implementing the reform a Sikkim: Sikkim South, Sikkim West pronged intervention at the process. It is hoped that, with e Tamil Nadu: Coimbature, Vellore, national, state and district level the creation of an enabling Cuddalore including: environment for the reforms in * Tripura: West Tripura, South Tripura * Promoting an enabling the two states, the state o Uttar Pradesh: Lakhimpur-Kheri, environment for RWSS policy governments may be able to Baharaich, Aligarh, Rai Bareilly reforms at the GOI and state attract large investments to * West Bengal: Midnapur, North 24 level through national, state and promote efficient and Parganas district-level workshops, sustainable RWSS services. . * Andaman & Nicobar: Andaman 6 TECHNOLOGY jalvaarii he presence of arsenic in cost effective methods groundwater poses a serious are described here. METHOD health hazard in several regions in rural West Bengal, where CKVET TF T aquifers are the main source of MET 0D drinking water. C;CAGUA' 0ONU D T,.p ChA.ber Arsenic is a heavy toxic metal and ingestion of amounts beyond 0.05 The bucket treatment milligrams per liter of water can method is simple and cause abdominal pain, diarrhoea, cost effective. Based on muscular cramps, weakness, and in the chemical behavior of more severe cases, ulcers, skin arsenic in water, the A disorders, neurological problems, bucket-type chemical F 1 ) - peripheral vision and even skin treatment was designed | cancer leading to deaths in extreme to develop a method to ...i... ' cases. Symptoms of arsenic remove arsenic from poisoning can take eight to 14 years water. The method uses to manifest in a person. If caught a ratio of chlorine early, however, the poisoning can be or potassium B.,ti.;ni CiJmt r T reversed. permanganate and alum Currently, experiments are being to treat ground water for undertaken with a number of arsenic arsenic removal. The mitigation technologies. The basic water is collected in a bucket and upper chamber has a nylon bag methods involve oxidation- the chemicals are mixed and containing activated alumina (AA). coagulation-flocculation- rigorously stirred. After a few hours, The nylon bag makes it easier to sedimentation-filtration. the arsenic sludge settles down at withdraw the entire medium Two of the cheapest and most the bottom of the bucket. The whenever needed either for arsenic-free regeneration or washing. The water is then nylon bag usually has a pervious BUCKET Tr . . drained out from bottom and imper-vious sides. The the top. upper chamber is fitted with a flow Add& Mix Vigorously Arsenic-free This method is control orifice and a nozzle at the Chlorine/Pottasium Water simple and cheap, bottom to achieve the desired Permanganate&Alum (Rs 120 per contact time between the medium annum per and the water. One batch of AA family), but the (either fresh or regenerated) can poor quality of serve for a number of months, chemicals giving a daily output of about 50 ll.r.l available in the liters. There are a number of 1.%, hour. open market types of AA available in the tends to limit its market and selection depends on impact. the level of arsenic in the water. Poor quality AA can make the WVATER FlILTER filter process ineffective. AA can be substituted by activated (ACTIVATED carbon, hydrated ferric oxide or Ah silicon oxides. A major drawback Arsenic-contaminated Water Sludge The water of the filter is thEat it tends to get filter has two clogged. Efforts are underway to chambers. The tackle this problem. a 7 Jalvaani INTERVIEW Mrs PD. Malathi, President, Mararikulam South Panchayat, Alappuzha Dist, Kerala What do ygO thairk of tl?e recent sends three participants (including .?fforts ofr decentralization? . one woman) to the water and Power should be with the f sanitation (WATSAN) committee. people, especially in the water .Ki The WATSAN coImnmittee meets at and sanitation sector. We have least twice or thrice a year. With seen that state agencies like the ' the people involved in the decision- KWA have limitations. Thanks to * a --- making, there is no question of the decentralization program, we - elite rule. have already constructed 1,000 latrines in our panchayat. We 't F If' . fffic iˇ t t of a need another 3,700 latrines in C order to achieve total sanitation t Our government has made sure (population 40-45,000). As we i that 33 percent of gram panchayat decide on how to use a large presidents are women. However, proportion of the state finances, - . my panchayat is not a reserved we can draw up programs to m" seat (for women). I was elected meet our needs. For instance, - - - - because I am aware of the needs when the government and donor programs talk of of the people in the panchayat and have worked for a sanitation, they only mention latrines. However, we are number of years for their good. Many of the issues that also taking steps for solid waste management (SWM) we deal with in the panchayat level are concerns of as part of the campaign to achieve total sanitation. With women, like water and sanitation. I encourage both men all the waste now being dumped in the rivers and and women to participate in the panchayat programs canals, SWM is a major issue for Kerala panchayats. and the women can easily approach me with their problems. Involving women in the planning process is 0 . h-v, T:A, ve,.,ce -. .sI, h £ critical. C h I ul V i- e e a [?,-I' -t iC 2CC < ,- As the Socio-Economic Unit Foundation (SEUF), an ccu¸st- NGO, has worked with this panchayat for the last three We get limited funds from the government and are years, it has already introduced the concept of people's not able to meet all the demands of the people. As the participation here. We are not talking to politicians, be people themselves decide on how to use these funds they UDF or LDF members. We are talking to they have to make choices. Everybody wants the beneficiaries of the programs. In our panchayat, we government to provide free rural infrastructure. have 40 neighborhood groups. Each neighborhood group However, this is not always possible. 'm ,oH VlAR A newsletter r HI0NK V4E 'V jointly produced by: _0; ? !FORe;01 X PT IRal- Gandhi NAsi.onal1i q- --- Dr,nP.ng Water M.,?ion:1 42 Government of India RGNDWM s 0 Water and Sanitation NO PrSAogram-South Asia VVSP-SA Jalvaani Jal means water and vaani, voice This newsletter aims at communicating key themes and messages on water and sanitation to different stakeholders in India. Produced by Media Workshop India Pvt Ltd. 8