Swajal Project: Harbinger of Reforms in WATSAN Sector

I heard of Swajal Project.  I read about the pioneering works done in the community led participatory Swajal Project. So much so when I was Secretary, Rural Development, Government of Tamil Nadu, I designed a project proposal on similar approaches and strategies and sought for World Bank funding.  Now, as the Joint Secretary & Mission Director, Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, implementing the Sector Reform Project through community participation in the country, I was eagerly awaiting for an opportunity to see for myself the impact of the work done through the SWAJAL project at the grass root level. This being the first project in the country to introduce the concept of community participation in every aspect of project implementation right from planning, design, implementation and finally last but the most important aspect, operation and maintenance of the scheme, only made me more determined to visit a SWAJAL village. At this juncture, I was invited to an interactive session on water supply in LBS National Academy of Administration and availed the invitation of Director, Swajal, Uttaranchal to visit the project area.  This gave me the ideal opportunity to fulfill my dream.

The visit to Swajal village Tikari was scheduled on 12^th May, 2002. Tikari is a small clustered village of Jaunpur block of district Tehri Garhwal, having twenty households. On this occasion the village community and I along with PMU and DPMU representatives participated in the “Atmarpan” ceremony. Atmarpan is the dedication of the constructed water supply scheme by the villagers to themselves. The programme started with Ganesh Puja at the filter works site. Later Shri Azad Singh Pawar, Treasurer, VWSC Tikari explained the Swajal process in the village – village selection, VWSC formation, feasibility process and Agree To Do Meeting, IPTA signing, procurement of materials, construction of their drinking water and sanitation scheme and the subsequent operation and maintenance of the scheme.

In this village as visualized and shaped during the planning phase and by the untiring, sincere and committed efforts of the community a water supply scheme was constructed for the village by tapping a gadhera source. In the pre-Swajal days there were no latrines in the village and during Swajal 65% of the households of the village were with household sanitary latrines. Further, 16 soak pits and 18 compost pits were constructed in the village. This clearly implies the yearning of the community for a better standard of living and increased awareness towards environmental sanitation.

It was heartening to see the renewed confidence of the village women, who came forward and actively participated in the day’s proceedings. The community participated actively in all the project activities, which was evident from the zeal with which they described each and every activity in minute details. Truly the concept of community participation has been actually implemented at the grass root level by SWAJAL. This was an eye opener and a pleasurable learning experience for me. But I would like to reaffirm the fact that the real success of the project will be tested in the operation and maintenance phase. The issue of sustainability is basically a function of the attitude and awareness of the beneficiary community, which is honed by long sustained effort towards community mobilization and empowerment. As observed in village, the villagers were doing proper chlorination, which was checked by the measurement of residual chlorine at the stand post. The emphasis on Water Quality Monitoring aspects in such detail assured me that the project has been successful in addressing the operation and maintenance issues at the grass root level.

Swajal project has aptly demonstrated that rural communities can plan, implement and maintain their systems if they are empowered to take their decision. Voice and Choice of the community are cardinal principles for success of Swajal.  As a consequence of the success of the Swajal Project, the Government of India introduced major policy changes in the year 1999 in the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Sector. Sector Reform Project is currently being implemented in 67 districts spread over 27 states across the country on the reforms principles started with the Swajal Project. The Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission has acknowledged the Swajal principles in its guidelines as:

“The Rural Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Project of Uttar Pradesh (inclusive of Uttaranchal) namely the Swajal Project, is pioneer in the field of community empowerment, involvement of women in the process and community contracting. The present project (Sector Reform Project) owes a lot from all these projects”.

The Government of India has earmarked upto 20% of the funds under Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) for implementing projects in the Swajal way. Now the Government of India has launched the SWAJALDHARA Project all over the country from 25^th December, 2002. Further, the Planning Commission, Government of India in its recent publication titled “Successful Governance Initiatives and Best Practices: Experiences from Indian states” has included a comprehensive write up on the Swajal Project. The Planning Commission has aptly remarked that “By introducing several innovations in a hitherto stagnant situation, the project has proved to be not only applicable but also replicable”.

It would not be an exaggeration if Swajal is designated as the “Mother of WATSAN Sector Reforms” in the country. The path set by Swajal will usher the Central and State Governments to introduce the community participation concept in other development projects. I wish the Swajal Project and Swajal Team a grand success and best wishes for the ensuing Follow-on Project. 

Dr. R.C. Panda

Ex. Joint Secretary & Mission Director,

R.G.N.D.W.M.,

Government of India.