Thematic Areas

BEST PRACTICE - Case Study Rundmal ki Dhani, Jalore District, Rajasthan Apart from Gawaitalab-the village pond- and its beris, Rundmal Ki Dhani also has two small nadis (small ponds) namely BhaankiNadi and GaucharNadi. But with increasing population of the village and about1700 livestock these water structures prove to be very small and are able to hold water for just 4 to 5 months. Besides this there are two hand pumps and a GLR1 constructed by the government, however, none of the hand pumps work and flow of water in GLR is also a rare sight as it comes twice a week, with the water being brackish. During the water distressed months villagers are also dependent on water tankers that bring water from nearby Bhadrajun village, at a distance of 20 km and charge a minimum of Rs. 500/- per round per household. Looking to the growing demand and inadequate availability of water the villagers had felt the need to find a solution to deal with the water problem. They had heard about the people’s intervention undertaken with the assistance from Jal Bhagirathi Foundation (JBF) in nearby villages such as Bhorda that had helped address water security. With growing interest of village elders a series of visits were made to the village along with meetings with the community members to discuss the problem faced. A PRA exercise was conducted by the project staff soon after. As part of the mobilization activities conducted to apprise communities about the scope of project work, a film screening was also held in the village. Two films titled- ‘MandlikeBadhte Kadam’ (Way forward in Mandli) and ‘ShauchalyaEvamSokhtaGaddhaNirman’ (Toilet and soak pit construction) were screened. While the first film talks about the best practices in water pricing put in place in village Mandli in Barmer district, the latter talks about need for construction of sanitation infrastructure in villages to prevent contamination of surface water sources. Impact Even though the villagers were aware of JBF’s work in the neighbouring villages and has heard the success stories, the screening of film was a catalyst that influenced the community member to an extent that a Jal Sabha of 35 members was constituted on the same day so that the work related to water harvesting can begin soon. Key Learnings Like a vaccine capable of reducing preventable diseases, community media is a simple, effective solution to achieve development goals. It not only presents the success story of different villages to motivate the rural communities but also brings recognition to the actual change makers. Scope of Replication This practice gives a visual to the heard or known stories that has longer and more trusting impact on human brain which motivates the community to take action and be the change makers. It can be replicated vastly in low lying villages not having access to television.

BEST PRACTICE—Case Study

Pachpadra, Barmer District, Rajasthan

Establishment of Small Water Enterprises (SWEs) has gained increasing importance over the last decade as governments, NGOs, and other institutions are looking  for mechanisms to make potable water available to the needy.  to it. SWEs have been described as “water delivery operations that predominantly provide water at the community-level. They operate beyond the reach of piped water systems and directly sell water to households.
Despite the fact that access to safe drinking water has been a global health priority as indicated in the UN’s MDGs and the role of small-scale water vendors has been flagged as critical in improving potable water availability2, the functionality of SWEs has just begun to unfold. Studies have described SWEs as having adaptability to local conditions and norms, making them locally viable. In some cases, SWEs have also been successful in accessing even the most remote populations regardless of terrain, governmental boundaries, regulations, economic conditions, and population density3. Another known benefit of SWEs is their ability to cater to poor households, by allowing intermittent purchase of water in quantities these households can afford. Finally, they have also been able to generate rural employment in many areas. 
SWEs are slowly emerging as acceptable models in the rural and peri-urban areas of India. The world over, SWEs have been accepted as private profit-making institutions that are competing to provide services, but they have also been criticized for promoting competition by privatizing natural resources. Many social scientists are of the opinion that such a practice will eventually prevent poor communities from accessing quality water. They anticipate a hike in the price of water made available through these SWEs due to the possibility of oligopoly over the water resources. In the Marwar region, however, JBF is facilitating a different model of SWEs. These SWEs are managed by community members within the village, thus preventing unfair increase in prices of water. In this region, SWEs are emerging as community-owned institutions practising social entrepreneurship: they harness the advantages of both market mechanisms and community management while doing away with the disadvantages of private profit-making systems.
Pachpadra is a village where people rely on just one pond to meet their water requirements. The dependence of the villagers on surface water is exacerbated by the saline groundwater present in this area. During dry spells, water is bought from nearby villages to fill theunder ground tanks in households at a cost of INR 500-600 per 4,000 litre tanker. People’s choices are further narrowed by the fact that water supplied by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) is largely considered unfit for drinking. Sourced from a nearby groundwater well and then supplied through a ground level reservoir, it contains TDS ranging up to 4,500 ppm, including chlorides, fluorides, and nitrates that are above permissible levels. Such conditions forced the community to compromise on quality issues and consume the water thus supplied, resulting in high prevalence of water-borne diseases.    

THE PRACTICE

To solve this issue and provide livelihood, the JBF initiated a pilot project under a public– private–community partnership model. This project not only ensured the availability of safe drinking water but also improved livelihood opportunities for self-help groups(SHG) members in the village. Setting out to design a business model for the provision of safe water to the community, it facilitated a micro-level water enterprise project. This was a joint collaboration of PHED, the Jal Sabha, the Gram Panchayat, JBF and the SHGs that examined ways to encourage local entrepreneurship through the creation of community-driven business models of supply of drinking water through SHGs, who would also sell water and create livelihood opportunities for themselves. Such a system would contribute to improved health and hygiene through the removal of fluorides, nitrates, and other salts from the water and build capacity of the community members through training for the maintenance and operation of the project.
  To fulfil these objectives, a technically efficient and effective Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant was designed as a social business model to operate a water enterprise which provides safe drinking water to Pachpadra village. Environze Global Limited, a private manufacturer of water treatment systems, installed the plant, while the government provided raw water and the Gram Panchayat provided housing facility to the plant. The Foundation was primarily responsible for facilitating the project.
  Global Social Benefit Incubator (GSBI) and Acumen Fund helped in overcoming any hurdles. They assisted in setting up a distribution network and also provided for business coaching and contributed towards the development of a business model and plan. As an inexpensive means of maximum distribution and reach, four outlet stations were set up in different parts of Pachpadra, ensuring that all communities were within walking distance of the RO treated water. Moreover, the traditional pots were found very convenient for the rural women to transport water. To ensure the affordability of water, a selling price of INR0.15/litre of water was set as the plant saved immensely on packaging and distribution costs. 
The RO plant and the delivery system is managed and coordinated by community members. The outlets are owned and managed by women from Jal Mandals (SHGs), allowing them to augment family incomes. The outlets, with a storage capacity of 2,000 litres, get water from the RO plant for INR0.08/litre. With a financial plan that fixed the selling price at INR0.15/litre and household delivery of water at INR0.25/litre, the outlets managed to generate profits ranging from INR3,500 to INR4,500 per month. The emergence of this SWE as a business model is an example of a public–private partnership with community investment where people have accepted differential pricing and are willing to pay for the service provided by the model. To make the business model successful and improve the livelihood of women, all the participating women were regularly trained in running and maintenance of the plant. They were also trained in financial dealings, record keeping, marketing, and distribution. Women were also made aware of the importance of safe water and how it leads to a healthy life. From a humble beginning, the SHG participants now take part in wider awareness campaigns on safe water in Pachpadra.

IMPACT

In Pachpadra, the RO-SWE has become an innovative option for the delivery of safe water. For the first time, there is now availability of easily affordable and safe drinking water in the area. People have adopted clean water practices of washing water containers with a chlorine solution before filling. Subsequently, a decrease in the instances of water-borne diseases as well as improved health has been noticed among families purchasing water from the plant. With regular awareness campaigns, there has been increased usage of safe drinking water. This has led to income generation for families that source water and sell it in their community.Regular training of women has contributed to their social and economic empowerment.

KEY LEARNING

Running the RO enterprise successfully required dedicated inputs in entrepreneurial and technical skill development. Maintaining product quality is essential for the sustainability of the intervention. Further, outlet infrastructure was not sufficient to guarantee viability and a delivery system was needed to ensure continuous sale of water. Finally, the biggest learning has been that social enterprises run by communities are viable economic propositions provided the right back- end and front-end linkages exist.

SCOPE OF REPLICATION 

In an area where saline water is the root cause of people’s problems, this practice can be extremely helpful in making quality water available to the people of Marwar. The main constraint is the initial financial investment and personnel training required to operate the RO plant. Some of the onus rests upon the government and the private players to recognize the potential of this process and invest in it

BEST PRACTICE - Case Study

Mandli Village, Barmer District, Rajasthan

Water resource systems that manage to satisfy demands without degradation are called sustainable. Sustainable water resource systems are therefore those designed and managed to fully contribute to the objectives of society, now and in the future, while maintaining their ecological, environmental, and hydrological integrity (ASCE, 1998; UNESCO, 1999). Ensuring such sustainable water management systems is a major challenge to the community at large.

Efficient planning, establishment and management of a water resource system are all often seriously constrained by the absence of a monitoring mechanism and information on water demand, usage patterns and socio-economic variables. Fragmented institutional structures, lack of a regulatory mechanism, public awareness and inability to manage the demand can also lead to unsustainable exploitation and use of water resources (WEHAB, 2002). In Marwar, increasing water scarcity has led the communities to adopt strategies that are of sustainable nature. Some of these practices involve establishing an economic and financial regime for usage of water. There has been a shift from the centralised to the decentralised management system that recognises the importance of local institutions, thus laying the foundation of good governance. These approaches have complemented one of the basics of sustainability - wherein institutions focus on getting ‘rights right’, and produce the right conditions for collective action (Schlager and Ostrom, 1992, quoted in Roth, Boelens, et al., 2005). An ideal management system in a water scarce region, however, will be the one which minimises conflicts and establishes rules and priorities among the users (Cravidao&Mateus, 2002) and ensures sustained water access to all.

Scanty rainfall and water scarcity are common features of a desert region. These problems are magnified by changing climate and recurring droughts. Mandli, a 600-household village with a population of 45,00 people, receives erratic rainfall. There is a perpetual water crisis in this village. Hence, village communities took on the onus of improving accessibility of water, rather than depending on external agencies and the government for supply of water. The main source of water for this village was a pond called the Gawai Talab which has a capacity of 2,869 cubic metres. During monsoon, rainwater used to overflow from the pond since its catchment area was small and could not retain all the rainwater. Whatever little water was harvested in the pond lasted only four months in a year. The situation worsened during summers when the pond became dry. The villagers had only the options of purchasing water, causing a severe financial strain; depending on the limited supply of saline water supplied by the government; and women of the village walking a distance of 4–6 km a day in search of water. Consuming saline water meant compromising on the quality of water resulting in health hazards. Under such circumstances people of this village struggled to survive. Community members of the village reasoned that if all the rainwater was harvested properly, the pond would have enough water to meet their yearly demand. The community collectively took decision to change the water situation of their village.

THE PRACTICE

A few villagers of Mandli, inspired by successes in other villages through the interventions of JBF, mobilized others in the village. They came together and formed a Jal Sabha (village water users’ association). This Jal Sabha had a representative from each community in the village along with an assured 20 per cent of women participation. The members undertook a participatory planning exercise and decided to increase the area of the pond, which would allow it to capacitate more water. In order to accomplish this task, funds were generated through contributions from each household of the village. This money was then pooled in the Jal Kosh in a joint bank account to ensure a measure of accountability for the sum collected.

Thirty per cent of the project cost came from the Jal Kosh and the remaining funds were provided by JBF as a grant. In the first year, the pond size was increased by 50 per cent. The community discovered that the pond could now harvest enough water to last a period of 10 months. Even though water was available for a comparatively longer duration, villagers were still worried that changing patterns of rainfall and the increasing probability of droughts might cause water crises in the village in the future. Therefore, the Jal Sabha felt the need to enhance the efficiency of water harvesting by increasing the storage capacity of the pond. They also realized the need for a regulatory mechanism for controlled use of water in order to ensure that it lasts for longer periods.

Difficulties that stemmed from the absence of a management system for water distribution within the village became evident in the first year itself. Jal Sabha members realized that free availability of water for neighbouring villages also needed to be checked. After considerable discussions, a consensus was reached to introduce a coupon system for the distribution of water. This way of water management allowed people from other villages to use water from the pond at a cost of INR100 per tanker of 4,000 litres. The coupon system not only provided a means of accountability of the money collected against the amount of water consumed by the people from nearby villages but also ensured distribution of water according to the needs of the people. After the successful implementation of the distribution system, the village pond was able to provide water access to 14 other villages. Moreover, an equitable distribution system for the people of Mandli was keenly followed by way of maintaining a register that noted the time and coordinates of people taking water. This system kept a check on usage of water, thus ensuring prolonged availability of water.

The money collected through the coupon system was deposited in the Jal Kosh for enhancing the capacity and catchment area of the pond. This facilitated regular maintenance of the catchment areas. Maintenance was carried out by village volunteers twice a month to retain water quality. To improve efficiency of water harvesting, they renovated water channels in the catchment area and planted trees to improve water inflow.

The Jal Sabha took all measures to ascertain that not a drop of water was wasted. A guard was appointed to safeguard the pond. With the accumulated funds in the Jal Kosh and support of JBF, the depth and area of the talab or pond was further increased in the second phase. The whole process has created cohesiveness among the community members and has increased accountability. This village illustrates how the community has resolved a chronic problem and built social capital for development. In a village meeting, community members stated: “This year (2009) we could harvest the entire rainwater of this season (though rains were less), because we increased the depth of the pond, maintained water channels, and strengthened the embankments.”

IMPACT

The primary impact has been in the availability of sweet drinking water round-the-year despite 2009 being declared a severe drought year. A community member said: “It is incredible that we have achieved water security even in a severe drought year that completely wiped out our crops.” Expansion in the capacity of Gawai Talab from 2,869 cum to 5,218 cum and that of Narsingh Nada from 2,308 cum to 26,601 cu m has resulted in a 50 per cent increase in water availability,in both cases, making water available throughout the year. Further, 13 villages also benefit through this intervention by sourcing water through tankers. (

The coupon system has created a sustainable financial source for the regular maintenance of the talab. Lastly, the practice of creation of Jal Sabhas has put forward a bottom-up approach in achieving development goals. It has enhanced leadership skills and motivated people to get an improved life.

KEY LEARNING

This approach showcases how investment in building robust and sustainable community systems and institutions positively impacts round-the-year availability of water. It also exhibits how an external agency with the cooperation of the local community can facilitate the revival of a traditional and sustainable water management system. SCOPE OF REPLICATION Similar best practices have already been replicated in project villages of the Foundation such as Trisangari Soda and Rodwa Khurd in Barmer district of Rajasthan. It is worthy of wider replication since it is an organized way to enhance the capacities of communities to manage water resources.

BEST PRACTICE - Case Study

Potaliya Village, Pali District, Rajasthan

Potaliya Village of Marwar Region posits an excellent example of integrated village development system where communities have come forward to develop and manage their common property resources to combat land degradation, conserve the desert ecosystem, and protect the local biodiversity.
The village, Potaliya, of 126 households with a population of 900 people, faced acute water shortage. In terms of water availability the village depends on the GawaiTalab(village pond) as its sole source of drinking water; however it was able to retain water for mere 6 months every year. After the talab ran out of water, villagers purchased water tankers at prices as high as Rs. 800- 1000 per tanker of 4000 litres. The ground water in the village is saline and unfit for drinking. There is also a Ground Level Reservoir (GLR)1 which has an irregular supply of saline water. Villagers use the water from the GLR mainly for washing and cleaning purposes.

THE PRACTICE

In order to develop the GawaiTalab, the village water harvesting structure and its catchment, the community approached JBF in the year 2010. To initiate and plan the work, a Jal Sabha was formed in the village with 37 members including 13 women representatives with a mandate to revive the GawaiTalab by increasing its capacity to harvest and retain more water.
The Jal Sabha made a plan to increase the capacity of the talab. To finance the development of the talab, the Jal Sabha raised 30% of the construction cost through community contributions and created a Jal Kosh(development fund) in the village. As a part of the project, the capacity of the talab, was increased by 4700 cum bringing the total capacity to 9000 cum. Three water channels comprising of more than 1 km were made in the catchment area to ensure that all water falling on the catchment is directed into the talab. With the increased capacity of the talab, the water retention period increased considerably, the talab is now able to retain water for approximately 10-12 months.
Motivated from the success in developing the talab, the Jal Sabha and the community decided to take up the development of village land resources. In 2011, the Jal Sabha made a plan to develop 80 bighas (12.84 hectares) of common land situated close to the village as village grassland. This land had been encroached by people and was also infested with Propopis Juliflora (an invasive species).
During the plan implementation phase, the Jal Sabha faced resistance, however a series of discussions between the Jal Sabha and villagers resulted removal of the encroachments for common village development by land development. The land was undulating, highly saline with of pH 8.5; additionally the water flowing through this land had resulted in soil degradation and erosion, which added to the problem.
A comprehensive plan for land development was formulated. It had two components – developing silvi-pasture model grassland and channelizing the water into a nadi (small pond) to prevent the overflow as well as create a source of drinking water for animals.
The grassland was developed on the Silvi Pasture model, with plantation of dhaman(CenchrusCiliaris) as a fodder grass and traditional ‘matka plantation’, was used for planting trees. A trench was made around the area to prevent entry of wild animals into the pasture land. Two open rain water harvesting ‘Tankas’ (structures) for watering the plants were constructed in the pasture land. Border plantations, were done with native species of approximately 300 plants consisting of Rohida (Tecomellaundulata), Karanj (Pongamiapinnata), Khejdi (Prosopis cineraria), Neem (Azadirachtaindica), Ber (Ziziphusmauritiana), Kumat (Acacia Senegal).
The grassland development has yielded positive results, the grass production has increased over the years and the Jal Sabha has been successful in making a fodder bank in the village. The dhaman is a protein rich grass which results in increased milk production. Moreover the seed of the dhaman is sold at nearly INR200/- per kg; the Jal Sabha harvests the seed every year and sells it in the market, the proceeds from the sale of seed is deposited in the Jal Kosh for development of the grassland. The success of this initiative can be gauged by the fact that in the first year itself the Jal Sabha was able to harvest 108 kgs of Dhaman seed and 1500 kgs of Dhamangrass.
In terms of sanitation with the help of active villagers the JBF staff assisted through Jal Sabha in construction of household toilets and soak pits. It also carried out construction of liquid drainage system, village soak pit and plantation activities.

IMPACT

After JBF’s involvement to revive the Gawai Talab, the talab is now able to retain water for approximately 10-12 months. Motivated from the success Jal Sabha assisted in development of village land resources via removal of people’s encroachment, developing silvi-pasture model grassland and channelizing the water into a nadi (small pond) to prevent the overflow as well as create a source of drinking water for animals. The grassland development has yielded positive results in terms of protein rich grass when fed to animal’s results in increased milk production.
On sanitation front , with the help of active villagers the JBF staff went to every house and collected basic information related to sanitation and hygiene such as hand washing habits, prevalent diseases etc, educating the community on the need for toilets and the benefits. Approximately 100 soak pits have been constructed in the households; these soak pits collect household waste water coming out from kitchen and washing and ensure that it doesn't flow on the village streets keeping them clean.

KEY LEARNIGS

The integrated village development plan “success story of Potaliya Village” couldn’t have become the reality with community involvement at every step. The community has access to traditional know how; they are the developers of the infrastructure and also end consumenrs. Also, the sense of belonging instilled by using a share of their money for infrastructure development contributes to the long-term sustainability of the model. Community participation lies in the heart of JBF’s development model.

Scope for Replication

Most of the villages in the Marwar region, though reasonably good presence of resources, lack to meet basic infrastructure including drinking water, basic sanitation facilities and still living hand to mouth. The practice can be extremely helpful in improving the quality of life available to the people of Marwar.  

BEST PRACTICE—Case Study

Sarwari Purohitan Village, Barmer District, Rajasthan

Effective community mobilization, participation, and investment by the people in planning and managing their own water security are at the very core of water governance. For such a governance structure to be established, it is also essential to ensure that individuals and groups express interests, exercise rights, share benefits, and mediate differences. Inculcating a spirit of collective action among the local community groups is a tough task.
This approach requires institutional arrangements, social capital, clarity on property rights, strong leadership, and a culture of transparency in benefit sharing. To this end, JBF has worked extensively with communities to establish a four-tiered system Jal Sabha, Jal Samiti, Jal Parishad and Jal Sansad. This four-tiered system has evolved as a good practice in the management and governance of water.
Earlier, the people of Marwar followed the traditional methods of managing water resources on their own through usufruct rights, setting up of sharing mechanisms for livestock, and implementing systems to preserve local resources. However, this community framework of water management has been taken over by a centralized water control system that overlooked the traditional wisdom. Acute depletion of resources has also resulted in a marked increase in dependence on the government. Village Sarwari Purohitan in Barmer district was one such example where the village had difficulties meeting the water requirements of its 450 odd households. The village received water only once a month through government supplies and people were forced to purchase water from tankers at high costs. To address this grave problem, the community decided to form a water association to renovate and increase the capacity of their main water resources—Ghoda Nadi (grassland pond) and Gawai Talab (pond).

THE PRACTICE

With this village facing acute water problems, an immediate and sustainable solution was needed. The villagers had participated in a series of community discussions facilitated by JBF which later led them to form a village Jal Sabha. The functioning of this Jal Sabha was based on principles of democratic governance and participatory management. The Jal Sabha also served as a focal point for all sections of the community to meet, discuss, and contribute towards planning their water security. For the first time, many communities put aside their caste prejudices and came forward to plan jointly to restore their water structures. In 2007, the Jal Sabha began work on Ghoda Nadi. In the first phase, the depth and size of the pond was increased and in the second phase,
the water channel was repaired. Around 30 per cent of the overall costs were generated by the community and deposited in a water development fund called the Jal Kosh; the rest of the amount was raised through project funds. Funds for the Jal Kosh were collected by the Jal Sabha through household campaigns which encouraged the families to contribute a minimum of INR200 towards making the village water secure.
This intervention increased the square area and capacity of the pond to harvest more water from its catchment area. Extra funds for its maintenance and upkeep were received by way of further community contributions. This fund was also used to appoint a watchman to safeguard the pond from animal and human misuse, thus ensuring a check on the usage of water and ensuring availability of quality drinking water. The success of their efforts at Ghoda Nadi inspired the Jal Sabha to raise funds for the restoration of another village pond called Gawai Talab. In subsequent years, the Jal Sabha undertook restoration/construction of various water structures including the construction of a tank within the village school to demonstrate the technique of rooftop rainwater harvesting. Since this project was part of the school premises, school children were able to get a glimpse of community participation and social action.

IMPACT

In Sarwari Purohitan the impact of forming Jal Sabhas in the village enhanced community participation and ownership of common property resources, resulting in easier and round-the- year availability and access to water. Expansion in the capacity of Gawai Talab from 960 cu m to 5,218 cu m and that of Ghoda Nadi from 17,280 cu m to 26,601 cu m resulted in a 50 per cent increase in water availability in both cases. This resulted in a marked reduction in the cost of purchase of water, which went down from INR3,480 per annum before intervention to INR960 after this intervention.

KEY LEARNING

Based on the experience of the Jal Sabha, the key components that create effective people’s institutions in water management include:

• Enabling Environment: Reinforcement of rules and regulations for management of common assets and water structures. These rules include the establishment of mechanisms for conflict resolution, regulation of behaviour, and respecting the norms for sharing costs and benefits. An agreed-upon enabling environment adds cohesiveness to the process and later contributes to the emergence of community-led governance structures.
• Participation and Organizational Performance: The actual design and establishment of local mechanisms for coordination and implementation. This often calls for the establishment of user groups, committees, and associations, where the basic structure of authority and decision-making is negotiated and established at the community level. Here the marginalized groups are also integrated in the process of decision-making.

In Sarwari Purohitan, the establishment of a Jal Sabha has not only created social capital but has also ensured that people manage water systems themselves. Furthermore, interactions within the three tiers—Jal Sabhas, Jal Samitis, and Jal Parishad—have enhanced people’s faith and ability to collaborate on issues related to water management in the region. JBF’s role as a facilitating agency ensured equal participation of men, women, and the deprived sections of the community in the decision-making processes.

SCOPE OF REPLICATION

This approach speaks of the efficacy of decentralized organization of communities in creating cohesive water governance, and is worth replicating not only throughout Marwar but also in other water scarce regions. JBF has mobilized 300 Jal Sabhas in its project area to manage village water resources. These Jal Sabhas have been found to be very effective in addressing conflicts on sharing scarce water resources and promoting intra-village and inter-village cooperation. For example, in Rewara Jaitmal and Thob villages in Barmer district (with a population of 500 and 5,000 households, respectively) the problem of water sharing and the resulting water conflicts between the two villages were amicably resolved by the constitution of a joint Jal Sabha. This Jal Sabha acts as a mechanism to address water conflicts, administering water-sharing arrangements between the two villages and running a common Jal Kosh for maintenance and upkeep of the water structures. The two villages now share water equitably.  

BEST PRACTICE—Case Study

Satuni Purohitan Village, Barmer District, Rajasthan

In Satuni Purohitan, the source of water, SongraNadi, was located at a distance of 4 km from the village. Water was available to the villagers either through tankers or by covering the long distance on foot to fetch water from SongraNadi. It was only during the rains (two–three months) that the women could access water from a smaller pond called Hemajal Nada, close to the village. This pond saved them the drudgery of making the two-way journey of 4 km to Songra Nadi.

THE PRACTICE

In order to have round-the-year availability of water in close proximity, women of SatuniPurohitan village joined hands to enhance the capacity of Hemajal Nada. A group of village women, after mobilesing and collecting INR 10,000 amongst themselves approached JBF with a request to support them to bring water closer to their homes. The level of mobilization and the dedication of thesewomen catalysed the formation of a women’s Jal Sabha. This Jal Sabha, comprising 30 women members, collected money for the Jal Kosh to undertake the capacity enhancement of Hemajal Nada. Thus, 30 per cent of the total funds was mobilized by the women’s Jal Sabha while the rest was contributed by the Jal Parishad as a grant.
This unique women’s Jal Sabha came into existence at a time when women had no active role in the water management issues of the village. Marwar has a patriarchal culture, where women are confined to their homes while men are involved in planning and managing community matters. The women of this village, by showcasing how their active involvement enhanced women’s access to water, have now set an example for women of other villages.. Women proudly call the pond the ‘women’s pond’ and they have forbidden access of tankers to it. They regularly carry out maintenance activities like de-silting and cleaning the catchment area to maintain the quality of water. With the establishment of this Jal Sabha, women have taken a more informed role within their households, creating greater awareness about safe drinking water practices, health, and hygiene as well.

IMPACT

The capacity of the two water-harvesting structures was increased at a total cost of INR 177,380 (30 per cent community contribution) at INR 70 per person (one-time cost). More specifically, returns to investment included reduction in women’s drudgery in terms of distance travelled to fetch water. After the intervention the water availability has increased from two months to about seven to twelve months a year depending upon rain and water use management.
As a result, their drudgery has reduced remarkably. The formation of this women’s Jal Sabha has tremendously influenced the community mobilization process. This was probably the first instance of women participating actively to resolve their own water problems. This practice of forming a women’s Jal Sabha has significantly contributed to the empowerment of women and has led to their engagement with the larger water restoration/construction projects being implemented in the village along with other Jal Sabhas in the area.

KEY LEARNING

The women who are now seen as leaders within their community have become role models for women of other villages. This practice put forward the creation of institutional space, allowing women to pursue development goals for themselves, their family, and the community at large. As a result of such initiatives, women’s access to and control over natural resources have improved substantially reducing the time and effort spent in collecting water. Despite the prevailing typical patriarchal culture which limits their participation in planning issues related to availability and access of water, the practice not only showcases the success of women in complex situation but also demonstrates how life can be made easier and better through collective effort; Women Jal Sabha.

SCOPE OF REPLICATION

This practice is worth replicating in development projects. However, care should be taken that such initiatives do not result in further exclusion of women leaders from social issues especially in places where the society is still in the grip of patriarchal system and adequate social mobilization has not taken place.  

BEST PRACTICECase Study

Godawas Khurd Village, Barmer District, Rajasthan

Godawas Khurd in Barmer district, like many other villages of Marwar region, faced chronic water problems which became severe with declining rainfall and irregular water supply. Further, the only open well in the village contained saline water with a TDS of 6,500 ppm. The whole village was in the grip of an acute water crisis. Women and children (mainly girls) were the most affected since a huge amount of their time was spent in meeting the daily requirements for water.
Children were irregular in attending schools and their education was put on the backburner due to the burning issue of water access. The Government High School of Godawas experienced extremely poor enrolment and attendance rates. The onset of summer worsened the situation further with the school registering zero attendance due to the lack of drinking water. Children dropped out as they had to devote large amounts of time and effort in helping their mothers fetch water from distant places. The Gram Panchayat constructed a 10,000-litre water tank in the school to address the water problem, but for water for the tank, they were completely dependent on tankers which was enormously expensive, ranging from INR1,200 to INR1,800 per tanker. The school collected small contributions between INR5 to INR10 from students every month for the refilling of the tank. This practice was followed till the year 2007, when the number of students enrolled in the school was 150.

THE PRACTICE

The community realized that excessive dependence on the government was not the solution to their problem and mobilized themselves to look for a sustainable solution to the problem. Under the guidance of the school headmaster, they got in touch with JBF to create a village Jal Sabha in Godawas. Once the Jal Sabha was constituted, they undertook the task of increasing the capacity of the village pond called GodawasTalab. In 2008, the Jal Sabha also constructed a school tank, following the rooftop water-harvesting technique. The community was involved in each level of designing and constructing the rooftop structure. They decided that the capacity of the tank was to be 40,000 litres and raised 30 per cent of the total construction cost through community contribution. For the remaining 70 per cent, they received support from JBF. The tank was constructed under the constant supervision of the Jal Sabha within a period of three months. This enabled the school to free itself from dependence on tankers and allowed efficient use of rainwater. This was also a lesson for schoolchildren on the management of water resources. Conservation of rainwater thus became a source of teaching civic sense to children.
Further, to ensure maintenance of the newly constructed tank, a student body of 10 members called Jal Dal was constituted. Students from Classes 6 to 8 became members of the Jal Dal. The Jal Dal took the responsibility of cleaning the roof and ensuring clean water in the tank. They were also accountable for cleaning the silt chamber and meticulous functioning of the hand pump. Additionally, the school teachers also began educating children on water distress and encouraged them to be a part of environment conservation plans in and around their village. The school students were also involved in environment conservation activities and planted 50 trees in the school premises. Each plant has been adopted by two students who nurture it. This practice is passed on to the younger students so that both the structure as well as the plants are maintained. These democratic practices inculcated in these students a sense of duty to the fragile ecology of their village. A piggy bank has been started recently in which students from higher classes contribute 1INR per month for the maintenance of the tank and purchase of water during times of distress.

IMPACT

This intervention has positively impacted education in the desert, enhancing the literacy rate. Children no longer have to miss schools to accompany their mothers in search of water. There has been a noticeable fall in the school dropout rate and attendance has become more consistent. Students have become aware of environment conservation and its correlation with rainfall. The Jal Dal has instilled a sense of leadership and responsibility towards preservation of the environment.

KEY LEARNING

The Jal Dals provide an excellent example of volunteerism and community service, enabling children to learn about their environment through hands-on experiences in water management systems. This practice is also an instance of the school administration and students working in tandem to ensure that every child gets her/his right to education without worrying about the availability of drinking water. It teaches them to unite for a socially useful goal, negating all caste and class differences.

SCOPE OF REPLICATION

This practice enables the younger generation to take responsibility for their fragile and scanty resources. It helps them understand the importance of conservation and regeneration. It can be replicated in schools where water problems are acute.

BEST PRACTICECase Study

Janadesar Village, Jodhpur District, Rajasthan

The multi-pronged WASH strategy adopted by JBF comprised three inter-related activities: a) Revival and construction of traditional rainwater harvesting systems to ensure availability of water; b) Construction of sanitation facilities; and c) Promoting hygienic practices. To initiate this, a baseline household survey was conducted in Janadesar village to assess the health and the kind of health problems faced by the people. The Jal Sabha initiated a campaign to boost awareness of sanitation, health, and hygiene through various community initiatives such as wall paintings, street plays, slogans, and walks. In conjunction with these, in-house production films were made by the foundations Community Video Unit (CVU). This video unit was led by people identified from the community itself who were trained in video documenting social programmes and problems. Screening of films around better sanitation practices encouraged the locals. The motivated individuals approached the Jal Sabha with written applications for the construction of toilets. The toilets when got constructed with community interventions.News of this initiative in Janadesar spread around to nearby villages and people came to take a look at the newly built sanitation facilities in Janadesar village. They were motivated to seek Panchayat support for replicating the same in their villages.

IMPACT

The biggest impact of the sanitation programme has been in motivating a large proportion of the community to realize the benefits of having individual sanitation facilities. Individual sanitation facilities have led to improved personal hygiene and waste disposal in the area, reducing health hazards. Through the awareness campaign, many others have learnt about the issues related to poor sanitation and hygiene as well as ways to address them. For women and older girls, in particular, having a toilet at home means privacy and saves them from the risks involved in going out before dawn or after dark for defecation. Fear of anti-social elements lurking in the shadows was a source of constant anxiety for the women.

KEY LEARNING

Individual contributions in the construction of these facilities served to inculcate a sense of ownership and value, ensuring their maintenance. Moreover, combining behavioural and attitudinal change through awareness generation along with co-financing sanitation infrastructure, as an incentive, motivated people to become a part of this change and own and sustain it.

SCOPE OF REPLICATION

This practice is followed in only one village as of now but is worth replicating in other villages since poor sanitation is a grave problem in the region. The investment for the model comes from both people and village local self-governance bodies. This strategy is an example of a holistic approach to enable access to sanitation facilities, promote hygiene practices, and enhance water security. This combined approach requires scaling up by the government and civil society protagonists.

Highlights

Major Conferences and Consultations

1. JBF is the first NGO in Rajasthan to advocate for legal reforms through effective groundwater legislation. In February 2005, a National Consultation “Looking to the Future”, was organized on the theme of groundwater management in Rajasthan. The conference discussed water policy in Rajasthan with particular focus on groundwater management and triggered a state-wide debate on institutional and legal reforms required to regulate and manage groundwater. The Rajasthan Chief Minister Mrs. VasundharaRajye, Dr. Maxine Olson, UN Resident Representative in India, political leaders, senior bureaucrats from the Central and state governments, well-known water resource management experts from India and abroad, prominent civil society members, and officials from UNDP, UNICEF, the Italian Embassy, European Union, Aus Aid, USAID, and other donor organizations attended the conference.
2. As a follow-up to the recommendations of the Expert Committee for Integrated Development of the Water Resources of Rajasthan, JBF organized a workshop titled “Marudhar Main Jal Niyojan” in October 2005 in Jodhpur to debate on a comprehensive “water policy” for Rajasthan. It was presided by Governor H.E. Mrs PratibhaPatil, former President of India, and saw the participation of Rajasthan Chief Minister Mr. Ashok Gehlot, Members of Parliament, Members from the Legislative Assembly, Panchayat leaders and senior politicians across party lines.
3. An Asia-Pacific Regional Conference titled“Towards a Sustainable Water Future” to discuss water conflicts and strategies for their resolution was organized in March 2006 with support of the Italian Development Cooperation, UNDP, UNICEF, and SIDA. The objective of this conference was to share regional experiences from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh, understand the nature of competing water claims, and discuss mechanisms to manage them. The conference was inaugurated by H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, and had a very wide participation of experts from the Indian subcontinent, Israel, Afghanistan, Dubai, state and Central governments, and international organizations like the Italian Embassy, UNDP, UNICEF, SIDA, DIFID, World Bank, European Union, and others.
4. A national consultation “A Right to a Drink for Life” was organized at the Water Resource Centre in September 2008, to discuss issues relating to the availability of drinking water and the citizens’ right to safe drinking water. Based on inputs from the discussion, an approach paper for “A Safe Drinking Water Act” will be published which will highlight strategies to ensure quality of drinking water for a healthy life. Participants included the Italian Embassy, UNDP, UNICEF, the state government, experts in water, law, and development.
5. A national consultation titled “Ganga Awahan” (the call to save the Ganga) was organized at the Water Resource Centre in Jodhpur in January 2009. Delegates from across the country debated the environmental impacts of the successive dams that are under construction on the river and its increasing pollution. The meeting ended with a “call to action” and led to further meetings at Delhi which finally resulted in intervention by the Government of India: an ordinance was passed in February 2009 to address the issues raised at the conference.
6. JBF organized a workshop on forging development pacts, in collaboration with Transparency International, on 9 February 2009 at the Water Resource Centre in Jodhpur.
7. A conference on “Adapting Water Harvesting to Climate Change in the Drylands of India” was organized at the Water Resource Centre, Jodhpur. This two-day conference, held on 12–13 February 2010, was a forum for discussing the changing climate, its variability, and the increasing threat to the sustaining of life. It provided a platform for raising awareness about the importance of water harvesting for regions facing water insecurity, offered ideas for appropriate solutions, and identified areas for further investigation, which may help secure better prospects for future generations.
8. GEF Project Inception Workshop: Sustainable Participatory Management of Natural Resources to control Land Degradation in the Thar Desert Ecosystem, 20th October, 2010
9. JBF facilitated a National level multi-stakeholder conference “The Dying Luni River-A Struggle for Survival” on 5th March 2012, with the objective to bring stakeholders on a common platform to enable experience sharing and develop a consensus on the need for sustainable management of River Luni. This conference was an effort to strike a balance between development and conservation and to look at options and strategies for sustainable management of our natural resources.
10. JBF facilitated a two day conference titled “Consultation on National Water Policy 2012: Preparing a Road Map for Implementation” from 16th-17th December 2013. The conference was organised with the objective to prepare a road map for effective implementation of National Water Policy 2012 and to collect different perspectives from Central/State Governments, Local governing bodies and NGOs on the National Water Policy with a focus on the Northern states of the country, The conference was organized with support of European Union (EU), Centre for Environment and Development Studies Jaipur (CEDSJ), Global Water Partnership (South Asia) and India Water Partnership (IWP) and was attended by approximately 140 participants from various Government and civil society organizations, academicians, researchers from North Indian States of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand.

Networking and Memberships

• JBF is the founder member of the Jal Biradari, a national network of more than 1,000 NGOs working on the advocacy of water issues; it has branches in every state of India. The organization has conducted 621 state-wide campaigns and 117 nationwide campaigns on issues related to water.
• JBF is elected in board of governor of the World Water Council.
• JBF is a member of the National Committee on Water, set up by the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII).
• JBF is a member of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), the largest conservation network in the world.
• JBF is a member of the Gender Water Alliance.
• JBF is a member of the Fresh Water Action Network.
• JBF is a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. It participated in the Asia Regional Meeting in Hong Kong (2008) where it made a joint commitment to action.

Highlights

• JBF was appointed a member of the Expert Committee for Integrated Development of Water Resources, constituted by the Government of Rajasthan to frame and recommend a “water policy" for the state.
• JBF is a member of the Rajiv Gandhi Water Development and Conservation Mission Chaired by the Chief Minister of Rajasthan.
• JBF is a member of the Steering Committee of the Rajasthan Government State Partnership Programme, which supports water governance reforms through the formulation and implementation of a highly progressive water policy, water- related legal framework, and institutional reforms.
• JBF has been appointed a member of the Think Tank of State Partnership Programme of the Government of Rajasthan.
• JBF has been appointed the Nodal NGO for the Jodhpur division by the Government of Rajasthan, so that the government can work closely in partnership with the Foundation, up-scale best practices identified in JBF projects, and share the learnings with the public through joint awareness campaigns and water literacy drives.
• JBF is a member of the Rajasthan Community Business Alliance on Water, a committee set up by the Government of Rajasthan under the auspices of the World Economic Forum, to identify areas for improving the quality of water and waste water services through public–private– community partnerships.
• In recognition of JBF’s achievements, the Department of Posts, Government of India, released a Special Cover on World Environment Day (5 June 2005) on the activities of the Foundation.

International Networking

JBF has participated in various international forums and showcased the best practices of water management developed in its project area. These include:

• The 13th UN Commission for Sustainable Development in New York City, USA, 11th - 22nd April 2005
• World Water Week in Stockholm, Sweden, 21st - 27th , August 2005
• Fourth World Water Forum, the largest water event in the world, in Mexico City, Mexico, 16th - 22nd March, 2006.
• IUCN Regional Conservation Forum organized in Kathmandu, Nepal 10th -13th September, 2007
• IUCN World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain, 5th to 14th October, 2008Fifth World Water Forum in Istanbul, Turkey, 16th –22nd March 2009
• International Symposium on Water and Health, “Beyond the Pipe: De;ivering Safe Water Solutions to Underserved populations” Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA, 22nd October 2009
• General Assembly of the World Water Council in Marseilles, France, 14th –16th October 2009
• IUCN Regional Conservation Forum organized in Incheon, Republic of Korea, 27th -30th September, 2011
• Sixth World Water Forum in Marseilles, France, 12th –17th March 2012
• General Assembly of the World Water Council in Marseilles, France, 17th –19th November 2012.
• IUCN World Conservation Congress in Jeju, Republic of Korea, 6th -15th– September 2012
• 2nd International Steering Committee (ISC) meeting in Marseille, France, 30th January 2013
• 3rd International Steering Committee (ISC) meeting in Seoul, Republic of Korea, 10th May 2013
• 7th World Water Forum Kick off meeting in Daegu, Republic of Korea, 14th -15th May 2013
• Seventh International Conference on Community Based Adaptation to Climate Change, in Dhaka, 22nd -25th April 2013
• The Caux Dialogue on Land and Security, 7th-11th July 2013
• The Chuncheon Global Water ConferenceChuncheon in Kangwon Province, Republic of Korea, 12th -13th September, 2013
• 4th International Steering Committee (ISC) meeting in Budapest, Hungary 5th October 2013
• Budapest Water Summit, 8th -11th October 2013
• JBF was nominated by President Benedito Braga and the Board of Governors of the World Water Council (WWC), to the International Steering Committee (ISC) of the 7th World Water Forum in Korea,12-17th April 2015
• JBF has been nominated in the core committee of ISC from 2013 to 2015, which works for the planning of the World Water Forum and is held every three years.
• JBF is the first organization to be nominated on International Steering Committee from South Asia, this will provide a major opportunity for advocacy and visibility of JBF at the global level.
• More recently the WWC invited JBF’s Chairman to be member of the OECD high level panel on “Infrastructure Finance for a Water Secure World” Chaired by the Secretary General, Mr. Angel Gurria of OECD.
• Jal Bhagirathi foundation has been elected in the Board of Governor of World Water council for three year tenure starting 2015 till 2018. This is the first time that an organisation from the Indian Sub-continent has been elected to this premier global body of water organizations.