Second Generation Sector Reform in Rural Drinking Water Supply under Jal Jeevan Mission: Functional Household Tap Water Connection from Scheme Transfer to Service and Water Utility

The Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation under the Ministry of Jal Shakti had recently brought out the operational guidelines for improving the drinking water scenario in rural areas, and for providing functional piped water supply to every village household. The solutions suggested in the document focus mainly on strengthening existing groundwater-based village schemes, using rainwater harvesting, watershed development, groundwater recharge schemes, and desilting and storage capacity enhancement of water bodies (GOI, 2019). They are based on the current wisdom on what has worked in the past in tackling drinking water scarcity in the country, and or the information available in the public domain on what can actually work in future, combined with the assumption that farmers will prioritise drinking over irrigation in their allocation decisions. Further, technical and managerial capabilities of the Gram Panchayats (GPs) and the Village Water Supply and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) for operation and maintenance of water supply schemes have not been assessed properly.

The assumptions on which these options have been identified for improving the sustainability of existing schemes need a relook. Overall, it is evident that the guidelines has inherent limitations in capturing the vast heterogeneity in the physical environment (hydrology, geo-hydrology, topography, climate, etc.), socio-economic dynamic (water demands from other sectors, especially agriculture in rural areas, demand pattern and economic and social conditions of the rural people) and institutional capacity available at the local level for managing water that govern the availability of and access to water for drinking purpose in rural areas. Water being a state subject, the responsibility to contextualise it rests with the state Government and the implementing departments. Even if the GPs or the VWSCs are to do the operation and maintenance of the village level schemes, their technical capacities need to be enhanced.  

Suggestions for Jal Jeevan Mission

Institutional Structure

•       There is mention of SWSM. With increasing climate variability, this entire source strengthening becomes very uncertain without working on demand side and community resilience management. SWSM should have at least one 'hydrologist' and one water engineer to identify technical/engineering solutions.

•       Need to involve block officials especially the RDD and PR for review and work in isolation with PHED / or water supply agency.

•       Create dedicated front like incentivized cadre like ASHA integrating Jaldoot and Swachhagrahis

•       On the institutional structure of DMU/DWSM and PRI  capacity building approach, there is a possibility to integrate the field trainers trained under Sujal & Swachh Gaon @4 person from each district under SBM

•       At PMU level, Government may initiate work on strong procurement policies on contractors, create a system of empanelment, orientation of the contractors on some non-negotiable part and create a third-party system of quality assurance of DPRs and handing over phase.

•       There is need for strong IEC required on demand side management and management of Grey water as supply norms have increased. Hence the IEC experts under DWSM are going to play a critical role

•       Follow both mixed approach of decentralized and centralized one on case to case basis and source strengthening measures will also differ as per agro climatic zones

•       Establish “Single Window Facility” at decentralized level for building large schemes, Introduce gradual metering of water supply—from bulk metering at village level and then to HH level

Governance:

• It says about involving Pani Samiti and VWSC’s which is a welcome decision. However, capacity varies immensely.  Do they have the capacity to plan and design the scheme? Yes, they can be strengthened for O&M and preventive maintenance, but we need to understand their scope and use them more like water utility service providers than contractors

·         The GP registers of individual water tax connections can be uploaded on IMIS without fail. This will give a try picture of actual water connection. Gram Panchayat may work as Pani Samiti and if any subcommittee gets constituted then also, Sarpanch can be chairperson.

• The most frequently suggested instrument for controlling groundwater draft was metering and pro-rata pricing of electricity. Realizing the limited role of energy pricing only as a tool to achieve higher efficiency of use of groundwater and not to reduce abstraction and as a result individual bores will always compromise the water for drinking and largely it is owned by rich people and there is strong disparity. Jal Jeevan Mission may need to converge with water regulatory authorities or make it a mandatory claw to implement JJM and align with Ministry of Energy and can promote the concept of State Water Board bringing all the water related line departments under single roof like central ministry. Though, it requires larger constitutional debate considering water is a state subject

Implementation Strategy:

•       Seven pronged strategies

•       Mapping of habitations and creating detail database of all different water supply schemes including the private household level wells and tubewells / borewells implemented with a focus on identifying the present supply norms in one single data base

•       Identification and mapping of water sources both for surface and ground water potential

•       Water purchasing and sharing regulation for industries located in rural belts

•       Clustering of zones for decentralized storage facilities

•       Bulk water transfer under regional schemes / MVS

•       Creation of an intermediate entity for bulk water transfers

•       Special plan for rural growth centers

•       RWSS data base updation on quarterly basis and monitoring the same

• There is a strong need to work with agencies working on ground water management like GSDA in Maharashtra to understand the participatory ground water management, source identification to map the influence zone of drinking water source and protect the source
• To make water recycling compulsory for water-intensive industries, especially ‘red category industries’, by a minimum of 20% of the consumption
• Reduce NRW to 25% (from approximately 35%-40% at present
• Is it possible to provide each HH with sustained pipe water supply in scattered hamlets, will it be cost effective? We may need to see schemes like ongoing mini PWS or Swajal where government is providing common stand posts ensuring adequacy and distance. Har ghar nal se jal can cover all our habitations though it may cover 650,244 census villages but what about 16,66,075 habitations within those villages? Equity will be still an issue if those scattered habitations do not fall under gravity-based system and it may be a challenge  
• Approx. 50% villages have potable groundwater, where Single Village Scheme could be implemented. About 30% villages in DDP, DDAP and other areas having water availability is an issue, in addition to rainwater harvesting, transfer of water from long distance is required. Nearly 3.3% of total habitations are quality affected, where either water has to be treated in-situ or water grid needs to be developed by bringing water from long distance.
• As we move towards regional water supply schemes tapping imported surface water from rivers and reservoirs in these regions, we would require new techno-institutional model for managing rural water supply
• Watershed or water resource management does not always lead to strengthening of drinking water source because of competing priority with agriculture and at the end of the day farmers end up using more water from catchment area and aquifer for drinking. Hence, any source strengthening effort under JJM should focus on drinking water source strengthening.
• Though PPP is over used word, still it can be explored in following lines
• The policy must ensure security of tenure for investments from private entities to develop infrastructure
• Advocacy to create state regulatory body that also looks after pricing issues (like MWRRA at Maharashtra)
• Shortlisting of projects for sustainable PPP mode
• Seek private players’ role in the execution of the projects (BOT/BOOT)
• Extended govt. support for financial structuring, Risk analysis and mitigation jointly by private and public agencies,

Monitoring / Database:

• Establish a common Database Management System (DBMS) and inter departmental sharing of data like Irrigation, Water Resources, etc.
• Professional civil society organizations (may be Engineering Colleges and social welfare colleges) for third party audit of agencies (like Unnat Bharat Abhiyan or dedicated Water Engineering colleges or KRCs). JS I structure of Maharashtra can be reviewed

Operation, Maintenance and IEC:

• 10% community contribution or popular contribution can be used also as revolving fund
• Studies have shown repeatedly, including UNICEF study of E&Y done in 2011-12, if community get the assurance of sustained water supply through out the year, they are ready to pay and maintain. IEC is only successful where community is sure on receiving potable water for 12 months @ 40-55 lpcd. Hence IEC should be more on identifying and sustaining the source
• Districts and corporate bodies are promoting RO plants in water stressed areas without proper knowledge of water quality and at-least 30 per cent of ground water is going to waste everyday (as reject water from the plant) in the absence of any regulations, there is need to be a strong regulation for installation of RO plats referring to NGT orders or using 15^th FC money
• Water conservation effort under JJM should focus on drinking water source strengthening.

Household and Institutional Water Supply:

• in JJM single village water supply schemes will be largely dependent on Ground Water and also state need to augment the existing PWS schemes from 40 lpcd to 55 lpcd while using the same source of water or finding new source and there is need to include functional water supply for school and anganwadis too.
• Continue Swajal for smaller habitations and clusters.
• In water-stressed and quality affected areas, water-grid is to be developed”