My Reminiscences of the Mid-term Review of the Swajal Project

I have had the privilege of being associated with the Swajal Project (Uttar Pradesh & Uttaranchal) from 1994, and as the World Bank’s task team leader during its first three years of implementation (1996-99).  The task of being a Task team leader was arduous and tremendous since for the first time in the country innovations in the rural water supply and sanitation sector were evolved and to be tested at the field level. Expectations were high but the road was bumpy and horizon illusory.

The World Bank Mission had visited the Swajal Project for mid-term review (MTR) in October 1999. The MTR is an important stage of any project since it provides an opportunity for both the financer and the borrower to reassess the relevance of the project’s objectives and modify, if warranted, the project concept and design. The Mission had met all the concerned senior government officials and had detailed discussions with the staff of the Project Management Unit (PMU) and the District Project Management Units (DPMUs). The Mission had also undertaken field visits to 17 villages in the Hills and Bundelkhand regions.

Let me quote what the Mission had to say after the mid-term review of the Project:

‘results on the ground confirm the viability of the project’s approach in which communities make decisions, procure materials, carry out construction, manage funds, share in the capital cost and operate the system in partnership with and support from the Support organizations (SOs- NGOs). PMU is successfully playing the role of a facilitator. The project’s SO and village selection processes and cost recovery policies have been further improved from Batch 3 onwards and have strengthened the project’s demand responsive approach. Overall, the project objective of developing and testing an alternative delivery mechanism is being fully achieved’.

I am pleased to see that at the end of the project, SWAJAL conclusively demonstrated the viability of community driven development and its positive impact on sustainability of the development. The project had been path breaking, evoked national and international interest and is considered as the best practice example of implementing demand responsive approach. The joint Bank-GOI sector work and the success of the project had influenced the GOI’s IX and X Plan policy, which now promotes decentralized service delivery and significant cost recovery in RWSS sector in India. Scaling up of reform process through Sector Reform Project and its larger image through Swajaldhara Project not only confirms the viability of the concept but has also set a benchmark, from where there is no turning back.

The SWAJAL team and its successive project directors played a central role in making all this happen.  I have rarely come across the level of team spirit; passion, dedication and continued commitment demonstrated by the entire team consistently over a full stretch of seven years – which have all been amazing. My best wishes to the team who is now embarking on the new assignment bestowed upon them by the Government of Uttaranchal to scale up the SWAJAL approach statewide, duly reflecting the extensive lessons learned and the particular needs of institutionalizing the new approach.

G.V. Abhyankar,

Ex. Senior Sanitary Engineer,

World Bank