Summary
WOTR's main focus is promotion of watershed development and women's empowerment through promotion of SHGs. The villages selected would be from the drought prone area where there is acute drinking water shortage and water is provided through
Background
Under BPR , out of 5 projects 3 projects have been successfully completed and 2 projects are nearing completion.
The learnings from these projects are as under -
- The drinking water activity has helped the village community to come together for a common cause and helped to strengthen their unity and integrity.
- the illiterate rural women are capable to implement honestly and parsimoniously large projects with big budgets by maintaining transparency if their capacities are built through training interventions and given opportunity to implement the projects
- if the drinking water problem is identified and the work is initiated by the women , the strong support and cooperation is possible from the local governance (Gram Panchyat), CBOs and men folk irrespective of village politics, groupism and bureaucratic interference
Location
, Western Maharashtra, IndiaFocus
Primary Focus: Drinking Water - Community
Secondary Focus: Capacity Building
People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 3,000
Approx. 2800 -3000 inhabitants from 8-9 villages would be benefitted.
The demographic details of the villages will be submitted by end of February 2007
School Children Getting Water: 0
It is proposed that after completion of the drinking water project one stand post would be constructed for the school where children could access water from it.
People Getting Sanitation: 0
People Getting Other Benefits: 0
Start Date: 2007-04-01
Completion Date: 2008-03-31
Technology Used:
It is proposed to dig and construct a new well at the appropriate location of water source after the hydro geological surveys are carried out for water investigation. The appropriate required horse power motor will be installed on the well. The water will be lifted from the well through the electric pump and transported to the water storage tank through underground HDPE pipe lines and will be stored at newly constructed water storage tank. The water will be distributed through standposts at different locations in the village/hamlet.
Proposed Activities :
•Hyrdo Geological surveys for water investigations.
•Digging and construction of new/old well
•Digging and refilling of the trench for the rising main and distribution pipe line
•Construction of Water Storage tank
•Installation of electric pump with accessories including MSEB electricity deposit.
•Construction of chambers and stand posts and assembling of underground pipeline.
•Water testing for drinking purposes
•Trainings to SMS, SHGs, water committees and Gram Panchyat members
Phases:
The project will be completed in one phase within 3-4 installments. After the monitoring for the first installment, the next installment and so on will be released. The funds will be directly deposited to the water committee's bank account.
Community Organization:
The Gram Sabha (local village meeting) would be conducted several times with the villagers to discuss the problems and immediate needs of the village. Those villages which have identified the drinking water problem as their immediate need will be selected. In the awareness phase, regional resource centre team will visit the villages and the preliminary surveys would be conducted in view of existing drinking water problem and appropriate suggestions would be given.
The process of community organisation is as follows:
•Participatory Rural Appraisal would be conducted to determine the available infrastructure, resources in the village and the social locations of the household.
• The villages where women have been organised into self help groups would be a precondition. These group should be federated under the body of the SHGs called the Samyukta Mahila Samitee (SMS).
•The SHGs and the SMS will take the initiative to solve the water problem.
•The designing and initial planning of the drinking water project will be done with the help of Village Development Committee (VDC) and the Gram Panchayat. The plan and design of the project would be technically approved by WOTR's technical staff and if required modifications would be suggested.
•All the households should be willing and agreeable to contribute 15% of the total cost of the project before the initiation of the activity.
•A separate water committee of the women will be formed.
•The water committee and the SMS will be responsible for the implementation, supervision, quality control and monitoring of the activity. The project fund will be deposited directly to the water committees bank account. The committee will handle the transactions and would be responsible for maintenance of the accounts.
•2 trainings regarding the safe drinking water, health and hygiene will be conducted for the SMS and the water committee, Gram Panchayat members for the sustenance of the project after completion.
•After the successful completion of the project the water committee would be responsible for the distribution of water, collection of water tax and also repairs and maintenance of the project.
Government Interaction:
Ancillary activities:
1. Regular health and hygiene education will be imparted to the SMS (apex body of SHGs) and the SHG members by WOTR officials.
2. The capacity building of the Water Committee and the SMS will be done through trainings.
3.The self employment opportunities will be provided to the SHG members through micro credit and bank linkages
Other Issues:
Maintenance Revenue:
The monthly water charges will be collected from all the eligibile families (excluding single parent holders and widows). This water charge will include the operational cost such as electric bill, water distributors honorarium, minor repairs and maintenance, purification of water expenses (TCL powder).
Besides this a provision of reserved fund will be made inorder to ensure the replacement of pump sets ( the life of the pump set is estimated for seven years) and minor repairs of valves, pipes etc.
Maintenance Cost:
Metrics:
Prior art before metrics
Cost: $55,000
The estimated unit cost of one project would be approx. 6000-7000 USD.
The detail costs involved of each project would be submitted after the identification of the project villages and by end of February 2007
Co Funding Amount:
Community Contribution Amount: $8,250
The community's contribution would be 15% of the total cost of the project. This would be in form of cash and voluntary (free) labour.