INNOVATIONS IN DEVELOPMENT

24x7 SUSTAINABLE WATER SUPPLY to Villages of Punjab Punjab Rural Water Supply
and Sanitation Project Drinking Water Supply in Rural Areas of Punjab remained a
major challenge despite the fact that surface and ground water is abundantly
available in Punjab. Historically, even the state Punjab has derived its name from
the word "Punj Aab" meaning Five Waters referring to the five rivers namely the
Beas, the Ravi, the Sutlej, the Chenab and the Jhelum traversing the undivided
Punjab (prior to 1947). Map of Five Rivers flowing in Punjab before Independence
(1947)After Independence the state of Punjab has left with only three rivers namely
The Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej.These rivers have bestowed Punjab with fertile
land and abundant supply of surface and ground water. However, easy availability
of water resulted in its reckless use, over exploitation of aquifers and indiscriminate
pollution of water bodies. This 'Problem of Plenty' has entailed to serious Quality
Problems and depleting water table. As per Central Ground Water Board, India, out
of 138 blocks of Punjab State, 112 Blocks are stated to be over exploited. Apart
from above water pollution has engulfed the entire state thereby rising water
quality issue. In addition to heavy metal pollution the following are the common
chemical pollutant occurring in the ground water of the Punjab. Ground Water
Quality Problems Contaminants Districts affected (in part) Salinity (EC > 3000
S/cm at 25 C) Firozepur, Faridkot, Bathinda, Mansa, Muktsar, Sangrur Fluoride
(>1.5 mg/l) Amritsar, Bhatinda, Faridkot, fatehgarh Sahib, Firozepur, Gurdaspur,
Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Patiala, Sangrur Chloride (> 1000 mg/l) Firozepur, Muktsar
Iron (>1.0 mg/l) Bhathinda, Faridkot, Fatehgarh Sahib, Firozepur, Gurdaspur,
Hoshiarpur, Mansa, Rupnagar, Sangrur Nitrate (>45 mg/l) Bhathinda, Faridkot,
Fatehgarh Sahib, Firozepur, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ludhiana,

Mansa, Moga, Muktsar, Nawan Shaher, Patiala, Rupnagar, Sangrur Hence potable
drinking water supply becomes a major challenge and matter of concern in Punjab.
Both GoI and GoP remained sensitive to above issue and accorded highest priority
to drinking water supplies particularly in the rural areas of Punjab through its
flagship NRDWP and PRWSS Projects respectively.Paradigm Shift: GoPs vision and
long term strategy aims at covering all the villages of Punjab with piped water
supply called "Medium Term Program". DWSS Punjab in year 2006 with financial
assistance from the World Bank, has developed Rural Water Supply and Sanitation
Project (PRWSS), with main objective (i) to cover all Not Covered (NC) and Partially
Covered (PC) villages so as to achieve Fully Covered (FC) status (ii) ensuring
sustainability of water supply schemes, and (iii) initiating measures to improve
sanitation condition of villages. Prior to PRWSS project water supply systems were
being constructed and operated entirely by DWSS with little or no participation of
community (end user) and designed service level was 40 lpcd, consequently
individual water connections were very less and performance of O&M was poor.
However PRWSS has proved to be a paradigm shift. Active participation Community
(end user) has been ensured right from pre-planning stage to post-implementations
stage. Service level has been raised from 40 lpcd to 70 lpcd. Now, the O&M of water
supply systems are being taken care of by community without financial assistance
from government agencies. Sustainability: Sustainability is based on a simple
principle: Everything that we need for our survival and well-being depends, either
directly or indirectly, on our natural environment. Sustainability creates and
maintains the conditions under which humans and nature can exist in productive
harmony, that permit fulfilling the social, economic and other requirements of
present and future generations. Sustainability is important to making sure that we

have and will continue to have the water, materials, and resources to protect
human health and our environment. According to American Water Works Association
(AWWA), Sustainability means providing adequate and reliable water supply of
desired quality now and for future generations in a manner that integrates
economic growth, environmental protection and social development.SUATAINABILTY
THROUGH INNOVATION: While implementing Punjab Rural Water Supply and
Sanitation Project (PRWSS Project) it has been observed that on transferring control
of Operation & Maintenance of water supply schemes to respective GPWSCs,
sustainability of water supply schemes remained a major challenge for DWSS to
address to. It has been observed in rural water supply systems that due to
intermittent water supply, consumers store more water than actual requirement;
whenever water is again supplied; they tend to discard original stored water and
start filling it again. Due to intermittent supply consumers are also left their taps
open so that they could know that when the water supply is resumed. This practice
is resulting in water wastage that needs to be minimized.Water Works of Village
Majara (Punajb) in sprawling lawn It has also been noticed that when water supply is
started all the consumers start drawing water simultaneously; resulting in reduction
in supply of water and its pressure in higher and tail-end areas. Hence, complaints
of non-availability of water starts pouring in, consequently many a time consumers
are unwilling to pay (their water charges) in such situations thereby posing a threat
to sustainability of the scheme. IEC and HRD efforts undertaken to resolve the issue
generally bear little success.Hence an innovative, bold, pro-active and technical
initiative combined with IEC and HRD efforts was undertaken by the Author (Er. J S
Chahal, Executive Engineer, DWSS, Punjab) in collaboration with GPWSC Majara to
address this issue. Srinivasa Rao Podipireddy, TTL, World Bank, accompanied by

DWSS Punjab officers during visit to Village Majara (Punjab) Author (Er. J S Chahal,
Executive Engineer, DWSS, Punjab) motivated the village community, GPWSC
Members and GP Members of Village Majara of district Ludhiana, Punjab to release
water supply connections to consumers through the individual storage tanks ( 500
Ltrs -1000 Ltrs capacity) fitted with stop valves placed on the roof tops. When the
storage tank of a consumer gets filled, stopvalve automatically shuts the incoming
supply, thereby reducing water wastage through overflow. The cost of storage tank
was borne by the consumers. Storage Tank placed on Roof TopSrinivasa Rao
Podipireddy, TTL , World Bank, DWSS officers and residents inspecting the Village
Majra. This solution resulted in assured water supply to consumers, as he/she is
confident that his/her storage tank is FULL of water, and also resulted in equitable
distribution of water and pressure to all the consumers.Results of this solution were
found to be amazing as it not only assured water supply to all consumers but
maintained sufficient pressure in the pipeline network to deliver water even at the
roof top of two-storey houses. Villagers Pointing to Rising Connecting Pipe to
Storage Tank placed on Roof Top of a Two-Storey House.Srinivasa Rao Podipireddy,
TTL, World Bank, interacting with resident of Village Majara.It is pertinent to mention
here, success of solution can also be attributed to large scale mobilization of women
folk of the village through sustained IEC/HRD activities of DWSS Punjab. Women
Participation in the meeting Women member of GPWSC actively participating in
meetings and discussions. . Individual Storage Tanks placed on roof tops is common
scene in village Majara. Thanks to Innovative solution of Issuing water Connections
through Individual Storage Tanks, residents of Village Majara are now getting 24
hour assured drinking water supply. GPWSC Village Majara not only met all its
expenditures incurred on O&M of Water Supply Scheme but also generated surplus

revenue. GPWSC Village Majara is operating and maintaining the water supply
scheme since 2009, successfully and sustainably without any breakdown Storage
Tank placed on Roof TopCHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED Through sustained IEC/HRD
effort, motivation of DWSS and cooperation of GPWSC, most of the consumers had
readily agreed to install individual storage tanks fitted with stop-valves. However,
there were few left over, who could not afford the cost of individual storage tanks,
they were given individual storage tanks by GPWSC on credit and these consumers
have paid back the cost in installments as little as Rs.100/- deposited with their
water charges bill. Future Vision After studying the successful, sustainable and
trouble free operation in village Majara, district Ludhiana for many years; Majara
model is suggested to be adopted at other villages of the Punjab state or country so
as to save/ conserve precious drinking water and to supply sustainable drinking
water supply to the consumers on 24x7 basis.