A handbook for gram panchayats to help them plan, implement, operate, maintain and manage drinking water security

The Department of Drinking Water Supply (DDWS), Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India launched the National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP) on 1st April, 2009. The NRDWP builds on experiences gained through past efforts by many stakeholders and brings all existing rural drinking water initiatives under a single program. The focus of the NRDWP is to ensure drinking water security for all rural citizens in India. Drinking water security means providing every rural person with enough safe water for drinking, cooking and other domestic needs at all times and in all situations, including periods of drought and flood and for livestock. The people living in rural habitations and villages have an important responsibility to decide how much water they have and how they use it, and what measures they must take to ensure drinking water security.The NRDWP guidelines recognize this, and make provisions to incentivize states to hand over the responsibility for planning, implementing, operating, maintaining and managing drinking water security to Panchayat Raj Institutions. The Gram Panchayats (GP), as leaders and representatives of the community, have to take the lead in achieving this goal of drinking water security.The Gram Panchayats, through Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs), have to mobilize communities, educate them and ensure they get the necessary training and technical support to achieve drinking water security. The Gram Sabha is the main platform for taking decisions and approving plans. It is recognized that rural communities cannot achieve all of this on their own. Block Resource Centers (BRCs), District Water and Sanitation Missions (DWSMs), State Water and Sanitation Support Organizations (SWSSOs), technical agencies like the Public Health Engineering Departments (PHEDs), training institutions like the State Institutes for Rural Development (SIRDs) and local private partners and NGOs all have a critical role in providing support. In light of the importance of the role of the Gram Panchayats, we are very happy to release this Handbook for Gram Panchayats, to help them plan, implement, operate, maintain and manage drinking water security. The Handbook will act as a reference to Gram Panchayats and a guide for trainers in training the GP/VWSC members. I thank the Water and Sanitation Program for taking the lead in putting together this first edition of the Handbook. I hope that the Handbook will be extensively used by all stakeholders, and I look forward to any suggestions to help improve the Handbook based on field experience. [authors abstract]