Thursday 9 July 2015

13 Years of O&M – Improved Rural Water Supply System - Village Parwada

1. Abstract

1.1 Sensation of 13 Years of sustainable water supply scheme of Villagers of Parwada, District- Nanital, by adopting a good and innovative practice of Operation and maintenance, is one of the best success stories of community management, effective demand mechanism and cost recovery.

1.2 The Success Story attempts to: (i) describe the project in brief. (ii) Life through community participation pre and post scenario After water supply scheme was commissioned; (iii) Share experiences and good practices under the running of successful operation and maintenance by the community of Parwada (iv) lessons learnt for Great interest to maintain the scheme itself and Successful institutional and financial arrangement by the villagers of Parwada.

2. Introduction

2.1 The delivery of sustainable rural water supply and sanitation service is an issue of considerable concern among policy planners and water sector managers of the State. The success story is intended for managers and planners who are concerned with the challenging problem of how to deliver sustainable water supply and sanitation services through successful practices of effective operation and maintenance in the rural/hilly areas. Evidence exists to support that sustainable delivery of water supply and sanitation services encompasses not only technical issues, but also managerial, social, financial and institutional issues.

2.2 The current project design is such that it moves away from target based, supply driven model to a demand based approach where users get the service they want and are willing to pay for across the rural area of the state, i.e., across the sector . The basic principles for reform in the RWSS sector include community participation in the planning, implementation, operation and maintenance (O&M) for the schemes of its choice, and the changing role of the government from that of a service provider to a facilitator.

2.3 The unique features of the success story have benefited / are benefiting villagers of Parwada in several ways. The benefits accrued to villagers due to sustainable operation and maintenance of water supply scheme by the VWSC include (i) User perception of need & consequent high motivation to maintain an improved water supply. (ii) proactive implementing agency which can provide both technical and software and as necessary resource which are genuinely beyond the capacity of users (iii) Community level institution in which those with the greatest interest in maintaining supply have a powerful voice.

3. BACKGROUND

3.1 The Uttarakhand Rural water supply and Sanitation Project was the demand driven approach system from the community. Earlier the community was facing the huge scarcity of water. They collect & fetching the drinking water from far away. The biggest challenge is to bring about a change of mindset in which, payment of realistic tariff for a reliable service commitment to provide that service. In other words customer-- becomes the norms.

3.2 Most part of Kumaon lies in high terrain, some part however lies in Tarai Region and Bhabar region areas. Hilly areas of Uttarakhand have always scarified for drinking water. Considerable labour & time are spent each day by women folk in potable water from long distance for the family. The most of the villages are isolated. These lack of drinking water facilities, proper sanitation and drainage arrangement which cause environmental hazards. The household are too poor to pay realistic water charges, people who have benefited from an improved water supply often claim that it is one of the most important aspects of the infrastructure which they will enjoy. There is the complete lack of portable drinking water and sanitary latrines as the people uses open areas. The villagers are living in state of unhygienic and unsanitary conditions before the Swajal scheme commissioned in this particular village.

3.3 Now all the households in the village have sanitary Latrines, Quality potable water, Compost, Garbage pit & Soak pit for Solid and Liquid Waste Management, decline in the rate of child mortality, water borne diseases like Jaundice, Cholera, Diarrhea, Malaria etc. good quality compost is prepared and village is open defecation free. In the year 2008-09 the village awarded Nirmal Gram Puraskar by Honorable President of India. The economic static of the community increased.

4. Description of Water Supply Scheme & Strategies adopted

4.1 The Parwada village is a single village Grampanchayat. It has 206 households comprises 1440 population scattered in 08 habitation/mazara situated 50 km away from district headquarter- Nainital. Earlier there was no water supply scheme in the village, so that, no one of the villager are leaving happily. The economical as well as the social status of the village was poor there were no scope of income generation program so that maximum households were poor.

4.2 The chronic shortage of water is a perpetual experience of the community of the villagers. The unsanitary conditions are restorable for the many water diseases gastroenteritis, diarrhea, typhoid, Jaundice etc, which is more pronounced during the summer month. To overcome this drawbacks & limitations, Government has despite adopted a new strategy where by the villager are to be involved in construction and maintenance of the Scheme. To generate a sense of belonging in the villager, it was envisaged to give 1% cash contribution & 9% labor contribution aggregate 10% of the cost of Scheme. In 1998 the world vision India (as NGO) is been selected as a support organization, the calls for involvement of the community for which the mobilization is being carried out through the NGO.

4.3 The District Project Management Unit-Bhimtal Swajal played a role of implementing agency for responsibility of planning, Implementation and subsequent maintenance of various component of the project. The VWSC (Village water and Sanitation Committee) formed under guidance of DPMU-Bhimtal (Swajal) to carry out the various activities. At that time to meet out the desired demand of water, 03 water supply scheme of different available technological option constructed, one is surface water pumping, other one is Gravity and one is of RWHT (Rain Water Harvesting Tank) constructed. For better implementation of scheme the Engineers and Specialist of DPMU regularly watched and monitored the scheme. This way the villager’s dream of possessing a water supply scheme of their own was fulfilled and the water supply scheme was commissioned on 25th July 2001.

5. Evidence of Performance

Presently each house hold contributing Rs. 125/- per month for O&M and meet out the electricity charges and other repairing works from their funds. O&M details of scheme since last 5 years for Parwada surface water pumping scheme.

Year
Income from tariff
(Rs.)
Expenditure (in Rs.)
Electricity Charges
Salary (SMW)
Chlorination
Repairing Works
Other Maintenance Expenditure
2008-09
98040
52000
19500
500
1700
6800
2009-10
46050
35000
7200
500
1500
5500
2010-11
77890
34900
5700
400
1500
4500
2011-12
44500
31550
10000
500
1000
4400
2012-13
56800
32500
8400
600
2000
4000
Total
323280
185950
50800
2500
7700
25200
Balance amount in O&M account of VWSC :- Rs. 50845/-( Rs. 33845 as per Bank account and Rs. 17000/- cash in hand. Bank Account Number- 10340100001175-Uttarakhand Gramin Bank Bhateliya, Nainital)                   
                                                                                                                                       Source :- VWSC Parwada

6. Factor of Success

The scheme is looked after by the Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) of Parwada. The key factor of Success of adopting a good and innovative practice of Operation and maintenance by the villagers of Parwada are;

6.1  Strong User perception of need & consequent high motivation to maintain an improved water supply.

6.2  Strong Community level institution in which those with the greatest interest in maintaining supply have a powerful voice.

6.3  A proactive implementing agency which can provide both technical and software and as necessary resource which are genuinely beyond the capacity of users.

6.4  A proactive and responsive support organization which can provide software support for building the capacity of user.

7. Sustainability of Project

The water supply scheme introduce in the village Parwada of District Nanital, Uttaranchal state is continuously providing safe drinking water to its community since its completion and  commissioning year July, 2001. The recurring expenditure required for running and maintaining of this project is being deposited by the community to the VWSC regularly. Finance has never been hurdle towards smooth running of the scheme due to active participation of VWSC and community. The VWSC is actively taking interest for keeping this scheme maintenance record updated. About Rs. 50845 is in their hand with VWSC in its maintenance head at present after clearing all the bills and recurring expenditure till dated.

From the above figure it is clear that due to active participation of community and successful implementation of long period (Nearly 13 years) of Operation and maintenance, the villagers of Parwada of District Nanital ensure their need of sustainable safe drinking water continuously. Its Implies that the strong need, highly motivation toward to maintain the improved water supply scheme and proactive implementing agency and support organization make this project sustainable.
Nearly 13 years they have been in operation and maintenance. The strong need, highly motivational toward to maintain the improved water supply scheme and proactive implementing agency and support organization make this project sustainable.

8. Lesson Learned

1-The villagers can do and successfully participate in construction and maintenance of rural water supply system if they have actually needed the portable drinking water and can live in safe and hygienic living condition.
2- Great interest to maintain the scheme itself.
3- Implementing agency and support organization will have to play a proactive role to sustain this project taking villagers and community in confidence.

4-  Women Involvement is necessary

9. References

Chairman,VWSC- Shri Ram Singh; Treasurer,VWSC-Shri Mohan Sing ;Secretary, VWSC- Shri Harendra Singh; SMW worker- Shri Vijay Ram and Shri Gopal Singh, Village Water and Sanitation Committee, Parwada, Block Dhari, District Nainital.

10. Authors: - D.K. Tewari, Environment Specialist (MSc.-Life Science, MBA-HR)
J.K. Bhaskar, Engineering Consultant (B.E. in Mechanical Engineering)
Organization: - District Project Management Unit, Nainital- Swajal Project.
e-mail:-dpmu_ntl@rediffmail.com,deepakswaj@gmail.com, jeetu1133@gmail.com
Phone No: - 05942-247272, 247287

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