CHAPTER –I 

INTRODUCTION  

1.1 BACKGROUND 

Drinking Water Supply is a State subject. Funds have been provided in the budgets of the States for the drinking water supply right from the commencement of the first Five Year Plan. A national water supply and sanitation programme was introduced in the social welfare sector in the year 1954. The Government of India provided assistance to the States to establish special investigation divisions in the Fourth Five Year Plan to carry out identification of the problem villages. Taking into account the magnitude of the problem and  to accelerate the pace of coverage of problem villages, the Central Government introduced the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) in 1972-73 to assist the States and the Union Territories with 100% grants-in-aid to implement the schemes in such villages. This programme continued till 1973-74. But with the introduction of the Minimum Needs Programme(MNP) during the Fifth Five Year Plan (from 1974-75), it was withdrawn. The programme was, however, reintroduced in 1977-78 when the progress of supply of safe drinking water to the identified problem villages under the Minimum Needs Programme was not found to be satisfactory.            

1.2            National Drinking Water Mission 

The entire programme was given a Mission approach when the Technology Mission on Drinking Water and Related Water Management, also called the National Drinking Water Mission (NDWM) was introduced as one of the five Societal Missions in 1986. NDWM  was renamed as Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission in 1991 

The following were the objectives of the NDWM in 1986:- 

·    Cover 1,37,155 residual problem villages as on 1.4.86 with safe drinking water;

·    Evolve appropriate technology mix;

·    Improve performance and cost effectiveness of the ongoing programmes;

·    Create awareness on the use of safe drinking water;

·    Take conservation measures for the sustained supply of water. 

ARWSP continued to be implemented till 1998-99 though it was envisaged that all the rural habitations in the country  would be covered during the 8^th Plan period and the implementation of the programme would be discontinued by the end of the 8^th Plan period.  However, the objectives of the programme could not be attained as envisaged due to lack of sufficient funds and re-emergence of Not Covered habitations etc. and the programme continues to be implemented during the 9^th Plan.  

1.3        Need for change

             The strategies of Rural Water Supply Programme hitherto adopted revolve around the basic premise that provision of safe drinking water is the responsibility of the Government.  Increased outlay by the Government, particularly in the last one decade and, a change in technology focus to handpumps fitted on tube wells and bore wells, had resulted in an impressive increase in the total rural water supply coverage.  However, the availability of potable drinking water in rural areas, especially during the summer months, is still not satisfactory.  Eventhough about 1 lakh habitations are covered every year, the number of problem habitations has not declined proportionately.  The reasons identified for uncovered villages were: 

·    Fast depletion of ground water level, which also increases incidence of quality problems of Arsenic and Fluoride etc. 

·    Sources go dry and defunct due to deforestation with consequent reduced recharge and lack of protection. 

·    Heavy emphasis on new construction and poor attention to maintenance. 

·    Non-involvement of people in operations and maintenance. 

·    Neglect of traditional water management practices/systems. 

This  revised guidelines is envisaged to be a tool to energise the system towards overcoming the above and to achieve the goal  of providing  safe and sustainable drinking water to all rural habitations of the country during the Ninth Plan period by exercising over the following: 

·         Control on over-extraction of groundwater 

·         More funds for repairs and rehabilitation 

·         Increasing people’s participation 

·         Reserve 20% funds for states promoting sector reforms 

·         Water to be treated as a socio-economic good 

·         Stronger links with watershed development programmes 

Hence, the prime objectives of these guidelines are as under:  

·    To ensure coverage of all rural habitations especially to reach the un-reached with access to safe drinking water.

·    To ensure Sustainability of the systems  and sources.

·    To preserve quality of water by institutionalising water quality monitoring and surveillance through a Catchment Area approach.  

1.4  Programmes of RGNDWM (w.e.f. April 1, 1999): 

Funds are provided to the States by the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission under the following programmes: 

a)   Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme(ARWSP): To supplement the efforts of the State Governments in providing access to safe drinking water to all rural habitations of the country.  

b)  Sector reform programme: Funds would be provided for institutionalising community participation in capital cost sharing, Operation & Maintenance and Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance in identified pilot districts.  

c)  Sub Missions: Five Sub Missions  on problems of water quality and sources drying up needing construction of water conservation and recharge structures and other measures with the States planning and approving them on their own.  

d)   Human Resource Development(HRD). 

e)   Research & Development(R&D). 

f)   Information, Education and Communication(IEC). 

g)  Management Information System(MIS). 

h)  Provision of water supply in rural schools. 

i)   Monitoring & Investigation Units, Purchase of Rigs, Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance, Monitoring & Evaluation Activity, Solar Voltaic Pumps and innovative projects. 

1.5            Evolution of ARWSP  guidelines  

Though ARWSP was in existence from 1972, comprehensive guidelines for implementation of ARWSP were first issued in 1986.  The present guidelines are based on the revisions made and  the following important  developments that took place since 1986:- 

-         National Water Policy, 1987. (Annexure-I)

-        Revised criteria for allocation of ARWSP funds to States/UTs based on poverty criteria as was applicable to other Poverty Alleviation programmes.

-         Earmarking of minimum of 25% of the ARWSP funds for SCs and another minimum of 10% for STs.

-         Provision for utilisation of 10% funds for O&M.

-        Introduction of ARWSP in DDP areas without the condition of matching funds under the MNP.

-        Introduction of central assistance at 75% for drinking water supply schemes for sub-missions including water harvesting structures/water conservation, SPV pumping systems.

-        Central assistance for district level laboratories.

-        Guidelines issued by the Mission, on Human Resources Development.

-        Guidelines issued by the Mission, on Research  & Development.

-        Guidelines issued by the Mission, on Information, Education and Communication (IEC).

-         Guidelines issued by the Mission, on Computerisation; MIS in rural water supply programme.

-         Complete delegation of powers to States to give technical and administrative approval for schemes under ARWSP in 1995.

-        Complete delegation of powers to States to give technical and administrative approval for schemes under Sub-Mission following the procedure adopted for sanctioning normal ARWSP schemes w.e.f. 1-4-1998.

-         The Government of India, in March 1999, approved major policy changes for implementation of Rural Water Supply Programme during 9^th Plan period.

Index