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Field Note Water and Sustainable Community Sanitation Program Management of a Multi-village An international partnership to help the poor gain Water Supply Scheme in sustained access to improved water supply and sanitation services Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India South Asia Region SMALL PRIVATE INITIATIVES (SPI) IN THE WATER AND SANITATION SECTOR IN INDIA In India, water and sanitation services are predominantly provided by Government and para- statal agencies. There are very few instances of large-scale formal private sector participation; where they exist they are mostly service contracts or man- agement contracts. However, a number of small-scale informal pri- vate initiatives have emerged to fill the gaps in the existing delivery system. Some of these private initiatives are in partnership with the Government, and others have come about on their own in response to Women filling water at the public standpost demand from clients. This series of Field SUMMARY Notes on Small Private Initiatives in the Water and Sanitation Sector in In the Shirol taluka of Kolhapur district are 4 villages which have India is designed to docu- reason to feel proud. For as many as 19 years, the joint water manage- ment a few successful urban and rural experi- ment body (mandal) of Lat, Latwadi, Shivnakwadi and Shiradwad has ences focusing on operated and maintained its own multi-village piped water supply the poor. scheme, with a total revenue surplus of more than Rs. 370,000. This field note documents the remarkable story of Kolhapur. SPI Series:2 Department for International DFID Development Background matter extensively with the committees ment and encouraged more villagers to of all 4 beneficiary villages, advocat- opt for household connections. Addi- ing the setting up of a self-help group. tional pipelines were laid in the 4 GPs N DECEMBER 1980, the Depart- Convinced of the advantages, the 4 and the total number of household con- ment of Environmental Engineer- village communities came forward to nections increased to 1,723 in 1999. II ing (Maharashtra Jeevan Prad- take over the scheme directly from the hikaran) of the Government of Maha- Government of Maharashtra. These Household Connections rashtra constructed and commissioned villages formed a joint water man- a multi-village piped water scheme, in agement body (mandal), which At the time of taking a household Kolhapur district, which drew water included the Sarpanches of 3 GPs, an connection, each subscriber pays a from the Panchganga river and sup- elected Member from Latwadi village, deposit (currently Rs. 250) and a plied it to 4 nearby villages in Shirol Chairpersons from the newly-formed connection charge (at present taluka, namely, Lat, Latwadi, Shiv- Village Water Supply Committees in Rs. 50) to the mandal. Thereafter, he nakwadi and Shiradwad. Three out of the 3 GPs (Latwadi was excluded as pays an annual development charge the 4 villages were Gram Panchayats initially it was not a GP), and a Tech- (now Rs. 20) and an annual water (GP) (see box on the Panchayati Raj nical Advisor, who was the Sub-Divi- supply charge of Rs. 200 per indi- Institutional Structure). Latwadi subse- sional Officer of the Ishaljranji Sub- vidual connection. Thus, a new quently became a GP. The Maharash- Division of the Maharashtra Water household connection currently costs tra Jeevan Pradhikaran’s (MJP) policy Supply and Sewerage Board. As the Rs. 520. Interestingly, the annual was to hand over such schemes to the adjoining Ichalkaranji Spinning Mill water supply charge of Rs. 200 per Zila Parishad. However, the Kolhapur would also benefit from the scheme, a household connection levied by the Zila Panchayat was not prepared to representative from the Mill was mandal is lower than the Rs. 365 take it over because it did not have the included in the mandal. charged by the Zila Panchayats in financial resources to pay for the oper- In May 1981, the mandal took the rest of Maharashtra. ation and maintenance (O&M) costs over the O&M of the Kolhapur multi- If the subscriber fails to pay the of the scheme. village piped water scheme. There annual charges, the mandal imposes A Government Deputy Irrigation was no formal handing-over from MJP a penalty. Recurring non-payment Engineer, and the Headman to the mandal, but only an informal leads to disconnection. However, dis- (Sarpanch) of Lat GP, discussed the arrangement where the MJP contin- connections are rare and till now ued to own the scheme, and the man- dal was responsible for its O&M. THE PANCHAYATI RAJ This unprecedented move would TECHNICAL DETAILS INSTITUTIONAL (PRI) not have been possible without the OF THE SCHEME STRUCTURE motivation and advocacy of the Irri- WATER IS pumped from the river THE PRI structure is a three-tiered gation Engineer and the Lat by a 30 horsepower pump to a Sarpanch, who took it upon them- one: Zila Panchayat (district level), settling tank 4 kilometers (km) selves to convince villagers to accept Block Panchayat (intermediate the responsibility of self-management. away. Subsequently, water is level) and Gram Panchayat (village To their credit, the villagers responded released to the 4 villages through level). A district typically has sever- to this challenge, and took on the pipelines, according to a fixed al Block Panchayats and each Block responsibility of the O&M. time schedule. The scheme was Panchayat contains several Gram designed to provide 70 liters per Panchayats (GP). Each GP, which The Scheme capita per day (lpcd). Piped water comprises one or more villages, has supply is given to individual house- several wards, which are electoral in Operation holds and, in addition, a few pub- units for GP elections.There are also lic standposts are located at cen- several hamlets within a village, HE SCHEME started with 419 tral points in the village for the eco- which are locally-recognized clus- household connections. Over nomically weaker sections in the ters of habitations. TT the next 19 years, the mandal village, and for common purposes. replaced and repaired faulty equip- 2 ■ Table 1 Annual Income and Expenditure of the Mandal (1981-82 to 1997-98) Rs. ‘000 Year ANNUAL Cumulative Balance Income Expenditure Balance 1981-82 83 55 28 28 1982-83 66 38 28 56 1983-84 89 60 30 86 1984-85 104 72 31 117 1985-86 121 111 11 127 1986-87 155 185 -30 97 1987-88 138 146 -9 88 1988-89 223 194 29 117 1989-90 175 160 16 133 1990-91 250 164 86 219 A jack-well on the river Shiradwad paying Rs. 4,500, 1991-92 211 205 6 225 and Shivnakwadi, Rs. 1,500 per 1992-93 275 286 -10 215 only 16 household connections have year. These amounts were revised 1993-94 285 255 29 244 been disconnected. in 1995, and Shiradwad now 1994-95 260 248 12 256 pays Rs. 5,000 and Shivnakwadi, 1995-96 343 329 13 270 Public Standposts Rs. 2,500 per year. 1996-97 564 432 132 402 These amounts work out to 1997-98 462 493 -31 371 Those who cannot afford a less than 1 rupee per villager per household connection - or do not year in each of these villages, Source: Mandal Account Books desire a higher level of service - use and each GP adds this amount to public standposts. These provide free the annual Panchayat charges (of for paying electricity bills on time, water. While there were about 70 Rs. 40 per year currently) routinely and interest income from its invest- public standposts at the start of the collected from all villagers. ments (Table 2). scheme 19 years ago, there are cur- The largest contribution to the rently only 43. The mandal reduced Finances of the Mandal income of the mandal in 1997-98 the number of public standposts to came from annual water charges promote revenue-yielding household Over the 18 years of its opera- A mandal meeting in progress connections within the villages. tion, the mandal has accumulated a For the O&M of the existing public revenue surplus of standposts, the mandal has been col- more than Rs. 370,000 lecting payment from the 4 GPs. On an (Table 1). average, the annual contribution has The annual rev- been Rs. 18,000, with the GPs of Lat enue of the mandal and Latwadi paying Rs. 12,000, comes from annual water supply charges SINCE EVERYONE pays the Pan- and penalty fees from chayat levies - including those private subscribers, who have opted (and paid) for pri- payments from the vate connections - the non-poor GPs, payment from the Ichalkaranji Spin- also pay part of the cost of pro- ning Mill, a rebate viding drinking water to the poor- from the Maharashtra er households in the village. State Electricity Board 3 ■ Table 2 Details of Income and Expenditure of the Mandal (1997-98) INCOME SOURCES HEADS OF EXPENDITURE DESCRIPTION AMOUNT % OF THE DESCRIPTION AMOUNT % OF THE (Rs. ‘000) TOTAL* (Rs. ‘000) TOTAL* Household annual water charges 315 3 Worker salaries 168 35 Household connection deposits 12 69 Bonus to workers 19 4 Household connection fitting charges 3 1 Maintenance and repair work 23 5 Contribution from Shiradwad Extension of pipelines 36 7 Village Panchayat 5 1 Chemicals 57 12 Contribution from Shivnakwadi Pump electricity bill 30 6 Village Panchayat 3 1 Office electricity bill 4 1 Contribution from Ichalkaranji Spinning Mill 35 8 Telephone bill 4 1 Interest from bank deposits 13 3 Mandal’s contribution to Employees’ Provident Fund 7 1 Rebate from the Electricity Board 6 1 Advance to workers from payment 8 2 Workers contribution to Employees‘ Provident Fund 3 1 Pump repair 69 14 Advance to workers** 8 2 Pump repair advance from payment 40 8 Advance for pump repair** 55 12 Uniforms for workers 5 1 Stationery 6 1 Advance for jack-well land purchase 10 2 TOTAL 458 99 TOTAL 485 98 Source: Mandal Account Books * Percentages have been calculated with respect to the full totals of income and expenditure (given in the last column of Table 1).

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