Palamaner, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh
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Assessment of the status, service delivery infrastructure and governance of drinking water supply in small and medium towns WaterAid/ Rohit Singh Palamaner, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh August 2020 Assessment of the status, service delivery infrastructure and governance of drinking water supply in small and medium towns Palamaner, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh With the objective of assessing the critical METHODOLOGY water supply situation, governance, and In order to capture the households’ and service delivery in the small and medium community’s perspective on the water supply towns of India, and of providing and sanitation situation in Palamaner, a survey recommendations to municipal bodies, was conducted in 240 households spread water utilities, and governments, WaterAid across four wards of the town. This was India conducted a study in 2019 in six towns followed by interviews with six key informants spread across India. Palamaner town in (KI) using a structured questionnaire, and focus Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh was one group discussions (FGDs) with community of the small towns selected for the study. members. Laboratory-based quality testing of 19 drinking water samples from select water OBJECTIVES sources was also conducted. 1. To assess the drinking water supply For the household-level survey, four wards situation and service delivery in four small were shortlisted—one from the central area of and two medium towns. This included an the town, second from the periphery, and the assessment of the quantity and quality of third and fourth wards were located between the water supplied. the two. 60 sample households were surveyed from each of these four wards. The sampling 2. To understand sanitation systems at criteria ensured coverage of: i) households with individual and household (HH) levels as access to piped water supply (PWS), and ii) well as community levels from a drinking households using other types of water sources. water safety point of view. Families from marginalised communities or 3. To understand the current mandates as people living in slums or informal settlements well as policy, regulatory, and legal were also identified and covered. Key framework, specific functions, finances, Informant interviews (KIIs) mainly covered and functionaries allocated to the local broader perspectives of the town; service bodies in order to fulfil these mandates. delivery provisions, water conservation, and 4. To consolidate learning around critical water quality monitoring measures. FGDs were service gaps and suggest solutions, also conducted to supplement and triangulate especially in the context of the poor and the findings from the survey and interviews. other marginalised populations in the These findings were supplemented by testing small and medium towns of India. samples from shortlisted water sources in an NABL-accredited laboratory. 19 such samples (13 from source and six user-level samples) were tested as part of the study. 2 Palamaner, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh The criteria for short listing water sources piped water supply (PWS) system whereas the included: sewerage system is almost non-existent except • Samples from each type of drinking water in seven ULBs which provide partial coverage source including individual households (15 per cent of the population). Unsafe water and public water points used for drinking supply systems and inadequate sanitation water. constitute major health risks and hazards for the population. • Samples from water sources at varying Drinking water supply monitoring cells have ground level depths ranging from a hand been constituted in every municipality and pump at 50ft to deep boring at a depth of municipal corporation to receive complaints on 250ft. drinking water problems and address them • Samples from different locations that immediately. However, grievances such as present a mix of potentially safe and pipeline leakage or water stagnation take unsafe sanitary sites. between seven to 90 days to get resolved The entire study process was conducted depending on the scale of the problem. A GPS- between September and November 2019. enabled mobile app is also being implemented for online tracking and real time monitoring of drinking water supply through tankers. BACKGROUND Policies and regulations for urban water supply and management in Andhra Pradesh The former state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) was bifurcated into two states; Telangana and Andhra Pradesh in June 2014. Andhra Pradesh, situated on the south-eastern coast of India, is its eighth largest state in terms of area (1,60,205sqkm) and the tenth most populous, with a population of around 49 million. The state is divided into 13 districts with 110 urban local bodies (ULBs) consisting of 16 corporations, 70 municipalities of all grades, and 24 nagar panchayats. The net increase of urban population between 2001 and 2011 was approximately 5.4 per cent. Vijayawada and Vishakhapatnam are major cities in the state. The urban areas contribute close to 65 per cent of the economic growth in the state. Andhra Pradesh is the ninth lowest urbanised state with an urban population of 29 per cent. Only 48 per cent of these are connected to the 3 Assessment of the status, service delivery infrastructure and governance of drinking water supply in small and medium towns Table 1 Various water and sanitation related policies in the state Andhra Pradesh State Water Policy, 2009 Source: http://www.ielrc.org/content/e0817.pdf The focus is on key areas of water management, which include: building an enabling environment; implementing a range of institutional tools, including local capacity building and participatory approaches; and integrating new management tools and systems such as the integrated data systems, water demand management, and a new communication system. Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Trees Act (WALTA) Policy, 2002 Source: http://apsgwd.gov.in/GroundwaterRegulation.aspx The salient features of this policy with respect to water includes registration of wells, prohibition of water pumping in certain areas, prohibition of commercial exploitation in certain areas, and promoting rain water harvesting and reuse. Andhra Pradesh State Sanitation Strategy, 2016 Source: http://www.urbansanitation.org/live/hrdpmp/hrdpmaster/hrdp-asem/content/e30293/e31169/ e49811/e65195/FINAL_AndhraPradeshSSS-Releasedversion.pdf The objective of the strategy is to i) ensure 100 percent hygienically safe and sanitary treatment and disposal of solid and liquid waste, ii) achieve open defecation free cities iii) enhance awareness and sustained behavioural change, and iv) achieve technological efficiency and appropriateness Andhra Pradesh Building Rules, 2017 Source: https://crda.ap.gov.in/apcrdacommuni/media/apcrdadocs/developmentpromotion/Andhra% 20Pradesh%20G.O.Ms.No.119,Dt.28-03-2017-AP%20Building%20Rules-2017.pdf This Act applies to buildings in all urban areas, SEZs, and gram panchayat areas covered under the general town planning schemes. Under the Green Building component, provision for water conservation and management mandatory for mandatory for residential and non-residential building size 300 sq m and above. The Andhra Pradesh Metropolitan Region and Urban Development Authorities Act, 2016 Source: http://dtcp.ap.gov.in/dtcpweb/act/APMR&UDA%20Act-2016.pdf The Authority is to prepare a master plan within three years of its constitution or within such time as the government may extend, which will include proposals and policies for watershed management, water supply, water harvesting, recharge of ground water, flood control, and prevention of air and water pollution. Table 2 Legal framework and category of ULBs Key legal frameworks Administrative body Total numbers Andhra Pradesh Municipal Corporations Act, Municipal Corporations 16 1994 Andhra Pradesh Municipalities Act, 1965 Municipal Councils 70 Andhra Pradesh Town Planning Act,1920 Nagar Panchayats 24 4 Palamaner, Chittoor, Andhra Pradesh FINDINGS OF THE STUDY charge varies depending on the distance of the house from the distribution line. The municipal Introduction to Palamaner town office sanctions new tap connections to residential houses under three schemes: Palamaner is the sixth largest ULB in the Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh (AP) with 24 • For APL households: A new piped water wards. Palamaner was established as a Grade supply connection costs INR 7,525 while III municipality in 2005. According to the 2011 the monthly tariff is INR 100. Census, Palamaner has 12,283 households and a population of 51,163. This increased to 13,446 • For BPL households: A new piped water households with a population of 56,473 by the supply connection costs INR 200. The time of this study in 2019. Out of the 13 monthly tariff charged is INR 100. districts in AP, five (Anantapur, Kadapa, • For commercial connections: Under the Chittoor, Kurnool, and Prakasam) are drought- ‘own your tap scheme’, a new PWS prone districts. Failure of monsoons coupled connection costs up to INR 12,500. The with depleting groundwater sources, increase monthly water tariff is INR 800. in the number of households, and lack of long- term planning have made the unmet demand In addition to PWS, there are 60 public stand for drinking water a major concern for the posts and 52 functional public hand pumps municipality. across the town, which meet the demand for water. The municipality collected revenue of INR 51.44 lakh from 1st April, 2019 to 1st Dec, Water supply and sanitation 2019 from water charges alone. Around 15 per cent of the households