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Safe drinking water and sanitation continue to be major problems in the country. Our Constitution has entrusted these subjects to the Panchayats through States. The Government of India supplements efforts of the States by providing financial and technical assistance under the two centrally sponsored programmes called the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) launched in 1972-73 and the Central Rural Sanitation Programme (CRSP) introduced in 1986. Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) was launched after restructuring CRSP. TSC is operational in 451 districts with an outlay of Rs.4416 crore in which the community contribution is Rs. 812 crore.
While there have been significant achievements in making drinking water available to the people, the sanitation coverage in rural areas continues to be a challenge. Only 22 per cent of the rural population has access to basic sanitation. The Tenth Plan envisages provision of safe drinking water to all rural habitations. All rural habitations are proposed to be covered under this scheme by the end of the Tenth Plan.
A one-day conference of State Secretaries dealing with the subject was held in New Delhi in May 2005. Besides reviewing the progress by the States in rural drinking water supply and sanitation sectors the conference considered the strategy for implementing the newly-launched Bharat Nirman programme. It envisages coverage of all uncovered rural habitations with drinking water supply by 2007.
The UPA Government has increased allocations on the water and sanitation sectors during 2005-2006 to Rs. 4,750 crore, which is nearly 40 per cent more than that in the budget of the preceding fiscal. That figure was Rs. 3,300 crore.
During the year 2004-05, the Government took major steps for coverage of habitations hither to not covered. Now, about 95.34 per cent habitations numbering 13,56,031 are fully covered with drinking water supply. The partially covered habitations number 60,884.
Under sector reform pilot project 76,816 schemes have been completed so far. Under the Swajaldhara programme 13,125 schemes were taken up in 441 districts of 26 States and one Union Territory. Out of these schemes, 2,573 have been completed.
Monitoring the Quality
A community-based rural drinking water quality monitoring and surveillance programme has been pilot-tested in four districts across the country. The programme envisages involvement of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and school and college laboratories in routine water quality monitoring. The National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in New Delhi will act as the national-level referral institute. The modalities for launching the programme throughout the country are being worked out in consultation with the institute.
For emergent situations like drought, flood or other natural calamities, the budget has been enhanced from Rs. 136 crore in 2004-05 to Rs. 202.50 crore in 2005-06, which is 47.9 per cent higher. For the Tsunami-affected areas Rs. 34.62 crore was released in 2004-05.
Rural Sanitation Projects
Keeping its commitment for rural sanitation the UPA Government has enhanced the fund allocation from Rs. 400 crore to Rs. 700 crore. This programme envisages achieving sanitation coverage in all the districts of the country. Under TSC 121.31 lakh individual household toilets, 4,774 sanitary complexes, 1.37 lakh school toilet blocks and 3,459 rural sanitary marts have been constructed. For motivating the PRIs, Nirmal Gram Puraskar, a community-based incentive scheme for the best performing PRIs was introduced. By now 39 PRIs from all over the country have received prizes from the President in February 2005.
For monitoring and evaluation of the ongoing programme, web-based tools have been developed. The web site of the Department of Drinking Water Supply was modified and strengthened.
Water Conservation
In a nation as varied as ours, the occurrence of rainfall is as dramatic as the quantum – from a mere 200 mm in Rajasthan to 11,000 mm in Cherrapunji in Meghalaya. To tide over the crisis arising out of the fact that we are largely dependent on the monsoons, the States have tried to look for solutions in areas like water conservation, water harveting, recirculation and reducing waste in distribution.
The natural recharge of ground water is slow and is unable to keep pace with the excessive continued exploitation. This has resulted in declining ground water levels in some areas of the country. While it involves structures in the rural areas, the rain water can be harvested on roof tops, paved areas, fly overs, roads and runways in urban areas.
Water bodies have traditionally been used in the country from ancient times apart fom the water bodies which have come into being as a result of surface minor irrigation schemes.
The Union Government has taken up a pilot scheme called National Project for Repair, Renovation and Restoration of Water Bodies directly linked to Agriculture at a cost of Rs. 300 crore to be implemented by the States during the remaining period of the Tenth Five Year Plan. The scheme will enable restoration and augmentation of storage capacity of the water bodies and in recovering and extending their lost irrigation potential. The National Water Resources Development Project is proposed to be launched incorporating the lessons learnt in the pilot phase.
Despite all this, however, it is becoming increasingly evident that the Government alone will not be able to provide the necessary extension of quality services to a growing population. The Government’s role has to shift from service provider to that of a facilitator for providing financial and policy support to the communities and their institutions for fulfilling the desired levels of services on a sustainable and equitable basis.
*Assistant Information Officer, PIB, New Delhi
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