Cost Effective & Sustainable Drinking Water Service Delivery: Lessons From Kerala
Dr. V. Kurien Baby IASJune 2010
Mazhapolima : Participatory Well Recharge Programme – Background
“Water, water, every where, Nor a drop to drink” Samuel Taylor Coleridge
• Kerala has 3000 mm rainfall p.a and 44 rivers• Water Scarcity a recurring phenomena every
summer• Source un-sustainability and quality issues • Highest density of open dug wells in the world • 70% of the people still depend of wells for drinking • Investments of Rs. 50000 mn in 45 lakh open wells• High access to pipes, poor access to quality water • High household investment as coping strategies
Water Resources – Demand Water Resources – Demand and Supply: Kerala – 2021 AD and Supply: Kerala – 2021 AD
A. Projected Demand MCM
(i) Domestic 3,230
(ii) Industrial 4,270
(iii) Irrigation 28,900
(iv)Environmental Req. 12,200
Total Demand 48,600
B. Projected Supply 42,700
Demand Supply Gap 5,900
Rural Water Supply: KeralaSupply Side
(access to pipes)
Demand Side (access to water)
70 % wells
59% piped
55% not used for drinking
90%batcerio.contam.
14.5% safe water
Rs 3187 crore (req’d)
30% piped
Access to safe water
60%
Faecal contamination
83.3% private finance
Rs 5,100 crore
16.7% public finance
Business as Usual: Uncovered Households
0
200,000
400,000
600,000
800,000
1,000,000
1,200,000
1,400,000
1,600,000
1,800,000
2,000,000
Year
Ho
use
ho
lds
Rural Household Un covered Urban Household Un covered
Business as Usual Scenario: At Current Level of Investment
Mazhapolima: Overarching Goal: Health Outcome
Objectives• Provide sustainable access to safe drinking
water thru’ open well recharge (not only pied water – conjunctive provision)
• Recharge ground water- source sustainability– (local action Vs. climate change)
• Improved service level and quality (Sanitized wells – sustainable water campaign)
• Drought mitigation and reduce public spending on tanker supply
• Strengthening decentralization• Pilot test cost effective alternate models
Approach and Strategy
• Community Driven• Participatory approach • Demand Driven• PRI Centric• Facilitatory role for GoK• Process Oriented, Outcome based• Cost Effective – transparency audit• Campaign Mode
Activity Description
Special Gramasabha/Ward sabha
Starts with special grama/ward sabha announcing the message” Our water our future” and ‘wells for welfare’. will conduct the reconnaissance survey/PRA and prepare a water resource atlas /scarcity Map with the inventory of open wells and ponds and prepare the resource map
Preparation of Action Plan and Approval
Ward/GP level
The ward sabha will approve the Action plan comprising the following components: (i) IEC and Awareness campaign: (ii) Training and Capacity Building Plan; (iii) implementation plan: (iv) financing plan and (v) monitoring (quantity and quality) and documentation plan
Implementation Task Force or Jalasuraksha
Samithies
A task Force supported by the resource team will be constituted from among the key stakeholders at the GP level with the mandate of programme implementation.
Block Jalasuraksha
Samithies
Block level Committee will consolidate the block level plan, oversee implementation, coordinate and direct action, poling and leveraging resources and infuse innovative resource mobilization ad integration of ongoing programmes
District Jalasuraksha
Samithies
District Advisory Committee will be chaired by the DP President and DC Vice Chairman with Block presidents and Presidents of the GP Association and selected experts as members and DPO as convener.The Executive Committee will be Chaired by the DC and selected experts, NGOs and key departments as members
Activity Plan – Bottom UP
Technology choice Specification Indicative Cost-Range in Rs
Open well (Drinking)
Roof top harvest with Sand filter*
PVC Gutters are fixed to collect water from roof and water is diverted to the filter using a PVC pipe. The filter consists of sand, metal and charcoal
2500-3750
Roof top harvest with ordinary Nylon filter
Water is harvested from the roof and is diverted to the well through a Nylon or cloth filter using a PVC pipe.
1250-2500
Open wells/Ponds (Non drinking)
Rooftop harvesting with out filter
Water harvested from the roof top is directly fed into the well
500-1000
Surface run off catch Using a bund, trench or pit 500-1000
Rain pits Open pit dug with a specification of 0.75 m x 0.75m x 0.75m
250-500
Backwash with Phyto-remediation
Usually meant for ponds in the lowlands, where a variety of plants and shrubs and trees are planted around the pond to purify water, appropriating the purification properties of plants and trees
2000-4000
(*) Additional Rs. 500 may have to be added for polyethylene sheets for thatched roofs
Menu of Technology Options
Stakeholder Group Capacity Building ComponentsGrama Panchayath Council Awareness on Ground water table,
extraction, recharge techniques and legal regimes
Local Volunteers including Kudumbasree,
Jalamithrams, NGOs, CBOs and local skilled persons
Skill building on Rain Water Harvesting, Water Literacy, Quality campaignMonitoring and Documentation
Media Awareness Programmes and Exposure programmes on focused good practices
Task Forces, Executive Committee, DPC, Members
of District and Block Panchayath
Monitoring, Documentation and Awareness Programmes along with Exposure visits to Good practices.
Capacity Building
Key Performance Indicators
• Substantial cost savings and targets exceeded by 200% in 14 months (T 3000 Ach. >10000 Wells)
• Financial Targets exceeded by 15 times GoK funds of Rs. 10 mn leverage funds Rs 150 mn (GoI 8 mln, GoK 3 mn, Arghyam, UNDP/UNICEF, Pvt. Sector(banks/Edu insts, business)NGOs, CBOs , KWA)
• Source and Quality sustainability ensured (community based quality assurance WQS&M)
• GoK integrated the programme for PRIs/GoI for GWR)• Action Research Outcomes
Recharging Open Wells in the Coastal Riverine Island of (VP)Thuruth improves
water quality
Satellite image of VP Thuruth at the confluence of Periyar River.
Key Outcomes• Reduced morbidity better health (Third party audit)• Reversal of investment trajectory (extraction /production
to source sustainability) –address climate change• Replicability and Statewide scaling up- 3 districts GO issued• GoK announced Water Security plan (jalasuraksha) for
State• Programme Convergence ( NREGA, watershed, soil conservation, minor
irrigation, PRI plans, GWD programmes)• Programme institutionalized with PRIs – GoK & DPC• National/regional media joined the campaign – National
River Action Framework (hit in India Water Portal)• UNDP /UNICEF (MDG) workshop & exposure visit• State & National award for Adat GP