Women Managers of Water Delivering piped water of hope in

Author: Rajeev Kumar, WASH Officer, UNICEF Bihar

In the effort to provide safe and adequate water supply for all, the Government of Bihar is rapidly increasing the reach of functional household tap connections (almost 70% as of May 2021) to its more than 19 million households through decentralized groundwater-based schemes implemented at the ward level. The ward is the lowest administrative unit represented by a ward member under ’s Panchayati Raj (local governance) system.

Bihar has 1,14,691 rural wards and is consequently moving towards just as many schemes to ensure functional piped water availability to all households by 2021. Quality and non-quality affected habitations have been identified and the responsibility of their implementation distributed between the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) and Panchayati Raj Department (PRD) respectively.

A key component in this effort is the Water Implementation and Management Committee (WIMCs) – a seven-member committee with three or more of its members women, responsible for the implementation of schemes in non-quality affected wards. This is embedded in the belief that women can manage water more efficiently as they have been the first to bear the brunt of the non-availability of water at the households or in the community.

The WIMC is responsible for entire project cycle of scheme including regular operation and maintenance (O&M). The Government of Bihar has also committed to provide INR 3,000 every month to each ward for the long-term O&M of the schemes being built. In addition to this, WIMCs are empowered to decide on water tariffs that may be charged to households.

Women Managers of Water

Who are these women? Some of the women water managers in Bihar have been members of panchayats in the past,some were part of other collectives like self-help groups (SHGs). For some, this was their first experience. One thing that they all had in common though, is that they have been the ones since time immemorial who had to think and anticipate about water availability for the household and family members, much before anyone or anything else. These collective needs are driving these women for their contribution as WIMC members and ensuring that all households are part of the schemes, and the schemes are run as required. This is also providing these women space to hone their leadership skills.

This is a series to document the experiences, learning, struggles, and above all, the motivation driving these agents of change to dominate in a rural society where women leadership has not been naturally welcomed. This is captured as part of the Panchayati Raj Department-UNICEF-Aga Khan Rural Support Programme-India (AKRSPI) initiatives in Samastipur, , and Vaishali districts of Bihar. The initiative aims to build gender empowered capacity at the grassroots to ensure sustainable supply of safe water to households.

Women Managers of the Month

1. Shanti Devi

WIMC member, Ward No-12 Villag- Khajwatta, Panchayat Sahdullahpur Dhabaulee, Vidupur,

Smt. Shanti Devi has been Ward Member for 9 years without much active participation in the ward’s affairs. This year, however, for the very first time, she found herself at the precipice to participate and make actual change when the WIMCs were created to implement the Government’s Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal scheme. She was not very sure about what she was capable of, but then came the opportunity for her to be part of the learning visit organised by the UNICEF-AKRSPI project team to one of the successful community managed piped water schemes in the nearby district of Samastipur. This emboldened her confidence to take her job seriously Shanti Devi - leader who made her and she could already envision what she could achieve scheme a model for others to as a member. She immediately returned to her ward and emulate. persuaded the community to build a brick-based staging for a water tank rather than the steel-based structure. This is one of the few in the blocks and is now presented as a model to others.

Now firm in her position, Shanti Devi has been working on institutionalizing the fortnightly meeting for WIMC members and ensuring regular contribution of monthly water charges from households. She visits the households herself and motivates them to pay for ensuring regular operation and maintenance of the scheme. She goes house to house and makes people aware of safe water, and the need for caring for these schemes through their active participation. She wants to keep the savings received from water charges in a bank account and put income expenditure before the community in regular meetings to alley any suspicions from the community.

She has expressed a sense of fulfilment in her active participation in establishing piped water schemes in her wards and rates it as one of her foremost achievements in 9 years of being a member in panchayati raj governance.

2. Geeta Devi

WIMC member, Ward No-13 Village Mubarakpur, Panchayat Gangapur, Sarairanjan, Samastipur district

Smt. Geeta Devi is chairperson of the WIMC of Ward number 13. She has actively participated in establishing the water supply scheme in her ward and ensures that all households have functional tap connections. She has monitored the implementation of schemes along with other members of the committee, and ensures that water is made available two times in a day to all households as agreed with them. She maintains the ward account for the O&M of the water supply scheme. As on date, she has collected cash of INR 11,340 as monthly user charges. She has made sure that electricity bills are paid regularly. She has informed that she had so far paid INR 5,198 to the electricity department till September.

Geeta Devi always thinks beyond functionality and works with households on issues of water conservation, not wasting water unnecessarily and other such issues Geeta Devi – wants to make water concerning water availability in the community. She everyone’s business in the regularly makes field visits and interacts with households community on issues of concerns for households.

She values the facilitation she has received and believes that by participating in trainings by UNICEF and AKRSPI, she has found confidence in herself and other committee members. Training focusses on various aspects of operation & maintenance, role of community and WIMCs, and wise water management.