Lok Sabha Question No. 181 (STARRED), answered on 2018-03-08
Subject: Swajal Project
Ministry: DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION
Asked by: DHANANJAY BHIMRAO MAHADIK, VIJAYSINH MOHITE PATIL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF DRINKING WATER & SANITATION

## LOK  SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 181 TO BE ANSWERED ON 08.03.2018

Swajal Project

## *181.   Shri Dhananjay Mahadik:

Shri Mohite Patil Vijaysinh Shankar Rao:

## Will the Minister of DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  launch  six  pilot  projects  for  clean  drinking water supply in villages under Swajal Project and if so, the details thereof including the number of districts likely to be covered under the Project and the time by which it is likely to be launched, Statewise;
- (b) whether the Project will involve locals in civil work and maintenance of the system and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the funding  pattern under the Project including the ratio of funds to be borne by the Ministry and the Panchayats;
- (d) whether local residents will be required to pay a certain amount of water charge for maintenance of the system and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  whether  there  is  any  proposal  to  cover  all  the  districts  of  the  country  which  are facing  acute  drinking  water  shortage  and  if  so,  the  future  plan  chalked  out  by  the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR DRINKING WATER AND SANITATION (SUSHREE UMA BHARATI)

(a) to (e):  A Statement is laid on the table of the house.

## Statement referred to in the reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 181 due for reply on 08.03.2018.

(a) Yes Madam.  Ministry has initiated a pilot project in the name of 'Swajal' that is designed as a  demand  driven  and  community  centred  program  to  provide sustainable access to drinking water to people in rural areas. The Swajal Project aims to  provide  rural  people  with  adequate  safe  water  for  drinking,  cooking  and  other domestic basic needs on a sustainable basis.

Swajal Project which was started  in 1996 in erstwhile Uttar Pradesh  demonstrated that  people  are  willing  to  pay  for  water  supply  and  can  assume  responsibility  for planning,  implementation  and  management  of  their  water  supply  schemes.  The demonstrated success of Swajal in rural water supply and sanitation sector based on demand driven approaches has contributed a lot to the replication of such models in other  states,  leading  to  the  formulation  of  a  central  government  level  program  for mainstreaming Swajal principles countrywide.

The current pilot project is to be implemented at the Gram Panchayat level initially in six  States  viz.  Bihar,  Madhya  Pradesh,  Maharashtra,  Rajasthan,  Uttar  Pradesh  and Uttarakhand.    So  far  two  pilot  projects  have  been  launched  in  Baghori  village  of Uttarakashi district in  Uttarakhand State and Bhikampura village of Karauli district in  Rajasthan State.   In other four districts, it will be launched shortly.

(b)Yes  Madam.   It  is  envisaged  that  under  the  Swajal  Project  the  rural  local government  in  partnership  with  rural  communities;  shall  plan,  design,  construct, operate  and  maintain  their  water  supply  and  sanitation  schemes;  so  that  they  get potable water and attain health and hygiene benefits. The State Government and its sector institutions shall act as supporter, facilitator and co-financier and as per need shall  provide  technical  assistance,  training  and  cater  for  bigger  construction  works and sectoral contingencies.

Decentralized operation and maintenance is the hallmark of Swajal Project. People will take full responsibility and pay for operation and maintenance of the schemes.

(c)  Under the Swajal Pilot Project, people, local government would be co-financers and own  the  scheme.  They  would  contribute  partially  towards  capital  cost  and  fully towards the operation and costs. 90% of funds under Swajal project would be provided through NRDWP (both Central and State share), 5 % mobilized from Gram Panchayats and  remaining  5  %  would  be  collected  from  the  beneficiary  community.  The  funds allocated will be transferred to a dedicated account for the project to  Gram Panchayats/Village  Water  and  Sanitation  Committee.  They  would  be  responsible  for managing and utilizing the funds.

(d) Yes Madam.  The people benefitting from the scheme will pay for the operation and maintenance  costs  as  per  the  requirement  of  the  scheme.  The  past  experience  and evidence in the sector demonstrate that even a small  contribution by people towards operation and maintenance increases people's ownership of the scheme and improves its sustainability. Swajal project envisages to make the people the owners of their water supply  scheme  and  hence  would  mobilise  people  to  pay  for  the  operation  and maintenance  costs.    The  details  of  water  charge,  periodicity  of  payment  etc.  will  be decided by people themselves depending on the local needs and requirements.

(e)  Depending on the results of the pilot project being implemented in six States, this will be considered for scale up in the States that agree to follow the Swajal Principles. These  principles  include  participation  of  people  in  planning,  implementation  and operation and maintenance of the scheme, community contribution towards capital cost and  operation  and  maintenance  costs,  decentralized  operation  and  maintenance arrangements etc.

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