SUCCESSES IN PROVIDING THE ELlXIR OF LIFE

Shri Shanta Kumar *

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Earth, water, sky, fire and air are the five elements that make the universe. Water is one of these important elements. Without adequate water life and civilizations could not have developed or survived. Clean air to breathe, safe water to drink and healthy food to eat are the bare minimum necessities of life. Every society has to give priority to provision of these basic amenities to its people.

There can be no life without water and the quality of life depends on the ability to manage the available water resources in the best interest of mankind. It is an irony that although three-fourth of the Earth consists of water, only 1 per cent of the total water reserve comprises of fresh water. Benjamin Franklin has rightly said "when the well is dry, we know the worth of water".

It is worth mentioning that fresh water, which was once viewed as an infinitely renewable natural resource, is no longer available in plenty. Fresh water is the most significant of all the natural resources in the world. Most of the countries that were once having sufficient fresh water supplies are currently facing problems following increasing demand due to population pressure, over-exploitation of resources and rapid growth in agriculture and industry besides urbanisation. In India, the per capita water availability was over 5,000 cubic metres per annum in 1950. It now stands at about 2,000 cubic metres. It is estimated that by the year 2025, its per capita availability would be only around 1,500 cubic metres. We have to face these challenges and find out concrete solutions. A rational management of both the quality and quantity of our water resources is assuming increasing importance day by day.

The year 2003 has been declared as the Year of Fresh Water by the United Nations. This signifies the importance of proper management of fresh water reserves.

Rural Water Supply

It is a matter of great pride that the rural water supply system in our country is the largest of its kind in the world. We have achieved significant progress in the drinking water sector due to sustained efforts by the Government, both at the Centre and in the States. An impressive achievement is the coverage of about 99 per cent habitations with drinking water through 37 lakh hand pumps and 1.45 lakh piped water supply schemes. The Ministry of Rural Development has been mandated to provide safe drinking water in all rural habitations by April, 2004.

The Central Government has achieved considerable success in meeting the drinking water needs of the rural population over the years. Out of 14.22 lakh habitations in the country, 12.95 lakh are fully covered. People living in these habitations have access to 40 litres per capita per day (ipcd), 1.12 lakh habitations are partially covered, i.e., people living in these habitations are having access between 10 to 40 ipcd of water and about 14,356 habitations are in the category of not covered. The greatest challenge before us is how to sustain the sources and systems.

The Ministry of Rural Development has invested more than Rs. 38,000 crore at constant prices on providing drinking water in the villages, which is much more than Rs. 100,000 crore at current price. To ensure that the sources created by us are functional, we will have to involve the people in planning, execution and upkeep of the drinking water assets. Water development and management is to be based on a participatory approach involving users up to the grassroot level.

Swajal Dhara

The Ministry of Rural Development has brought about policy changes by introducing sector reforms in the field of rural drinking water supply. To mobilise community participation, sector reforms were introduced in 1999. They are under implementation in 67 districts in 26 States. The total cost on these 67 projects works out to Rs. 2060.45 crore. The Government of India’s share is Rs. 1922.85 crore. In this new approach, the Centre’s role is that of a facilitator. The community is involved in implementing the water supply schemes for which they should have a feeling of ownership of the assets created for their benefit.

Encouraged by the success of the Sector Reform Projects, it was decided to expand this initiative in all parts of the country. A new initiative called SWAJALDHARA was launched by the Prime Minister on December 25, 2002.

As a key element of the scheme, the community will have to contribute 10 per cent of the capital cost (5 per cent in case of SC/ST-dominated villages). Further, the people will have to own, operate and maintain the water sources so created, though the full ownership of the drinking water assets would rest with the Gram Panchayats. Beneficiary groups, Gram Panchayats and blocks adopting the Reform principles will be eligible for Swajaldhara projects. The 90 per cent cost of the project excluding community contribution will be fully met by the Government of India.

The scheme is based on the philosophy that the rural people should feel as the real owner of the scheme. This would ensure that people and their Gram Panchayat fully shoulder the operational and maintenance responsibility of the schemes. The Swajaldhara Scheme is meant for taking up only simple and basically community-oriented schemes. This is not meant for capital-intensive, complex projects.

Providing water supply facilities in schools and ‘Not Covered’, ‘Partially Covered’ and ‘Water Supply Habitations’ and revival of traditional water sources is to ensure that drinking water sustainability can also be implemented under Swajaldhara.

The Swajaldhara project aims at achieving self-sufficiency in drinking water in rural India. We don’t want our rural masses to be dependent on Government agencies for a basic necessity of life like water. This is in line with the decentralization of planning and management as enshrined in the 73rd Constitution Amendment.

Water Quality

For an effective management, a satisfactory water quality management plan is the pre-requisite. It must be developed in harmony with other resource problems.

India has a predominantly agrarian economy. In order to evolve policies for an optimum use of water resources, it is important to assess their magnitude, distribution and scope of utilization. The problem of quality of the available drinking water in the rural areas is a serious health hazard.

Rural water supply is a State subject. The States have been initiating projects and schemes for the provision of safe drinking water from their own resources. However, recognising the importance of providing safe drinking water in rural habitations, the Centre has been giving financial assistance to the State governments. The Ministry of Rural Development is also working for creating public awareness on the use of safe drinking water and to take conservation measures for a sustained supply of drinking water.

About 2 lakh habitations facing water-related problems are linked with water quality like fluorides, arsenic, brackishness, excess iron, nitrate and salinity. Exclusive sub-missions were constituted for addressing both preventive and remedial measures for water quality problems and for ensuring safe drinking water to the rural population. The funding pattern for sub-mission projects is in the ratio of 3:1 between the Centre and the State governments.

In order to assess the ground position with regard to quality problems, the State governments are carrying out a stratified sampling survey, taking the block as a unit. On identification of the quality-affected blocks, a cent per cent survey of the sources in those blocks would be carried out. The exact magnitude of the problem could be assessed only after the survey results are available.

Wasteland Development

Ground water is a very essential but a scarce and precious commodity. By effectively empowering the Panchayats, we will not only be able to deal with the issue of drinking water in a better way but also address the other basic needs of the rural people.

As per our Constitution, drinking water supply is a State subject. The 73rd and 74th Constitution amendments provide for the State Governments to transfer the drinking water community assets to the Panchayats. For this purpose, the Centre is providing the Panchayats with necessary resources and giving them the responsibility of implementation.

Eighty-five per cent of our drinking water needs are met from ground water. The over-extraction of ground water led to a fall in the water table in many districts by more than 4 metres during 1981-2000. This is mostly attributed to negligence of traditional practices including rainwater harvesting and inadequate integrated water management and watershed development. So, the need of the hour is to launch a massive programme relating to rain water harvesting and re-charging of ground water with people’s participation. India is facing a severe water crunch not because of shortage of adequate sources of water or due to inadequate rainfall. The problem lies in our inability to efficiently conserve the rain water.

To improve the productivity of the wastelands and of the living standards of the rural poor, the Government of India has launched a new scheme called "Hariyali". Its aim is to strengthen and involve the Panchayati Raj Institutions in the implementation of watershed development programmes. Under this initiative, the Gram Panchayats would execute watershed projects with technical support from the block or zilla panchayat which would act as the Project Implementation Agency (PIA) for all the watershed projects in a particular block.

Under the watershed management, villages would be taking up many small works to conserve water for drinking, irrigation, fisheries and afforestation. Besides adding to the greenery of the rural landscape, it would also create new employment opportunities for the rural poor.

The experience of several villages in Alwar district of Rajasthan has shown that rainwater harvesting can, in fact, become the starting point to eradicate rural poverty itself. Assured water availability through appropriate water conservation methods means increased and stable agricultural production. Rainwater harvesting has helped a village called Ralegan Siddhi in the district transform itself from one of the most destitute villages of the country in the 1970s to one of the richest today. There are many stories relating to successful water conservation. These models can be replicated everywhere. It is possible to conserve water through the Panchayats’ initiatives and by using traditional methods of water harvesting.

An efficient and wise use of water resources calls for ever-increasing efforts in water conservation.

People’s Participation

People’s participation has a pivotal role in rural development. Mahatma Gandhi advocated that ‘true democracy cannot work only by twenty men sitting at the centre. It has to be worked out from below by the people of every village. The 73rd Constitution Amendment has not only given the Panchayati Raj Institution statutory protection but also defined them as institutions of self-government.

Both the new initiatives – Hariyali and Swajaldhara - ensure genuine participatory planning. Under these programmes, the people are moblised through the Panchayats in all stages of planning, implementation and maintenance.

Rabindra Nath Tagore once said, "When you have once taken up a responsibility, you must see it through".

There is no doubt that the people of India would realize the dream of safe and potable water for all. For this water conservation has to be made a mass movement.

* Union Minister of Rural Development