SAFE DRINKING WATER TO ALL RURAL HABITATIONS BY 2004-VENKAIAH
NAIDU
The Rural Development Minister Shri M. Venkaiah
Naidu has said the Government of India has accorded high priority
to cover all rural habitations with access to safe drinking water
by 2004. In order to do so, the Government has set the norm of
40 litres per capita per day (lpcd) and additional 30 lpcd for
animals in hot and cold desert ecosystems. Further, drinking water
source for 250 persons in a habitation is provided, he said. Taking
into account these norms, the current level of coverage of drinking
water supply to the 1.4 million habitations in the country is
89 per cent fully covered, 10 per cent partially covered and 1
per cent not covered, the Minister informed. The Minister was
delivering the key note address at the World Water Forum 2002
organised by World Bank in Washington, last night. Over 600 professionals
from all over the world are attending the Conference.
Expressing concern over the quality of water
and sustainability of sources and systems, the Minister said that
there are water quality problems in 2,17,211 habitations. Excess
fluoride, arsenic, nitrate, iron and salinity are causing health
hazards for lakhs of people. This situation further worsens as
demand increases. And this is despite the impressive coverage
of provision of safe drinking water facilities in rural areas,
he said.
Shri Naidu said that Government of India has
embarked on a five-pronged strategy to mitigate poor quality of
drinking water. These are treatment systems for household or community;
alternative problem-free zones in groundwater; mini-piped water
supply that use deep aquifers; regional piped-water supply using
mainly surface water; and, dual mode of water supply that provides
potable water for drinking and cooking purposes.
Shri Naidu highlighted the pro-active role taken
by the Government of India in rural drinking water sector reform
project in 64 districts having spent US $ 400 million. Further
the total sanitation campaign organized in 163 districts with
a total outlay of US $ 417 million. His address outlined six basic
principles of sector reforms initiative: -
1. Subsidiarity i.e. that services should be delivered at the
lowest appropriate level;
2. Adoption of a demand-driven and participatory approach;
3. Focus on village level capacity building;
- Integrated approach to water supply, sanitation and hygiene
promotion;
- Partial capital cost recovery and ownership and full operations
and Maintenance(OO&M)financing by users; and
- Promotion of ground water conservation and rainwater harvesting.
The Minister also impressed on the partnership
between the World Bank and Government of India in propagating
reform principles in water, sanitation and hygiene. He indicated
that Government of India is fully committed to expand the reform
initiatives, which will promote faster development in various
sectors for rural development.
The creation of a city challenge fund for the urban local bodies
and Neeru-Meeru and Pani Roko Abhiyan for water
conservation and rainwater harvesting were highlighted by the
Minister. Shri Naidu placed before the Forum four issues and requested
that the Forum deliberate on:
i. How to mitigate drinking water quality
problems with appropriate technology and with least cost;
- How the transition from the existing institutional arrangements
to a demand responsive mode can be addressed and managed;
- In a multi-tier system of government, how does the higher
tier support and promote the changing process in the local tier;
- What are the processes in which the reform initiatives in
water sector can improve the local government capacity.
Shri Naidu stressed on providing complete coverage
of Rural Sanitation and termed it as one of the developmental
challenges in India. About 20 per cent of rural people have access
to some form of latrine, but more critical are the poor hygiene
practices common in the country. In this backdrop, the Minister
said Government of India has increased Sector investments, which
presently constitute a significant proportion of the National
Budget – about 3 per cent, of which 50 per cent is allocated to
rural areas. During the Tenth Plan, the Government plans to spend
Rs.28, 000 crore for this Sector.
The Central and State Governments come together
to address the priorities of supporting effective and inclusive
decentralisation by empowering local communities in rural areas;
building and implementing consensus on key policy and institutional
reforms; funding investments in rural infrastructure linked to
reforms in service delivery; promoting cost recovery; targeting
the poorest and the most vulnerable groups, etc.
Under Sector Reform Programme, the Government
hopes to achieve environmental, institutional and financial sustainability.
The Government strongly believes that people’s voice and choice
to adopt technological options acceptable to them, affordable
by them and adaptable for them brings in sustainability.
From the national perspective, the success of
the water sector reform has implications for all-round rural development
and goes well beyond the water sector. If through the water sector
reform programme, robust institutions for good local governance
can be created, these can be effectively used for the delivery
of a host of other local public services, which will have a positive
impact on rural development for poverty reduction.
The Ministry, has, therefore, developed four
cardinal principles on the basis of which all reforms in the Ministry
of Rural Development are carried out, he said. These are awareness
generation, transparency, community participation and social auditing.
The response from the participants indicated
that the following four cardinal principles -Awareness, Transparency,
Community participation and Social Audit, are the best basis for
the success of their form initiatives.
There was excellent response to the Union Minister’s
address especially on the water conservation, participatory processes
in operation and management of drinking water sources and systems,
water conservation and rainwater harvesting. The participants
were happy to know about the proposed amendment to the Constitution
for transferring functions, finances and functionaries to the
people. Delegates showed specific interest in the social audit
principles enunciated by the Union Minister.
The professionals present overwhelmingly appreciated
the Minister’s suggestions on sector issues revolving water supply,
sanitation, health and hygiene and were highly appreciative of
Government of India’s initiative in local self-government where
more than one million women representatives out of 3.4 million
elected representatives are participating in 2.23 lakh panchayati
raj institutions.
