Drinking water issues in Rural India: Need for stakeholders’ participation in Water resources management
by S. Lalitha and P. M Vetha Siromony
Water is a very essential livelihood for mankind. India is blessed with abundant natural resources especially water, which are used for various purposes predominantly agricultural followed by domestic and industrial purposes. India’s water resources significantly dependent on monsoon rains; but at the same time, the country has a big population, large area of irrigated agriculture land and considerable industrial operation which generates high demand for water. The United Nations suggest that each person needs 20-50 litres of water a day to ensure basic needs of drinking, cooking and cleaning. It was also endorsed by the Indian National Water Policy 2002, with the provision that adequate safe drinking water facilities should be provided to the entire population both in urban and in rural areas. About 1.42 million rural habitations in India are affected by chemical contamination.
The provision of clean drinking water has been given priority in the Constitution of India, in Article 47 conferring the duty of providing clean drinking water and improving public health standards to the State. Excessive dependence of ground water results in depletion of ground water, water contamination and water borne diseases. Thus, access to safe and reliable water supply is one of the serious concerns in rural water supply programme. Though government has taken certain serious steps in addressing the drinking water issues in rural areas, still there is a huge gap between demand and supply. The Draft National Water Policy 2012 also states that Water quality and quantity are interlinked and need to be managed in an integrated manner and with Stakeholder participation. Water Resources Management aims at optimizing the available natural water flows, including surface water and groundwater, to satisfy competing needs. The World Bank also emphasizes managing water resources, strengthening institutions, identifying and implementing measures of improving water governance and increasing the efficiency of water use.
In rural India water resources management is only possible with stakeholders’ participation. Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) are the local governing authorities who play a vital role in enhancing community participation at village levels. Therefore stakeholders’ participation is viewed important in managing water resources at different levels and range. A research study conducted by the first author on “Water Governance Practices in Thiruvallur District Tamil Nadu” reveals that the stakeholders need to be given information, education and communication (IEC) and training on water resources management. The local governing authorities and community based organizations play a pivotal role in service delivery and rejuvenation of the water resources. The observation of world water day would create awareness among the community on water scarcity and a need for water management. Government must change its role from service provider to the facilitator to involve stakeholders’ participation. The community needs to be empowered through capacity building training programmes by trained personnel’s like community development specialists to understand the water related issues and act collectively towards water resources management.
Read full research paper at http://fofj.org/index.php/journal/article/view/91
Uniform Resource Name Code urn:nbn:de:hebis:34-2014062645601
Photo credit:- Daniel Bachhuber
