Swajaldhara programme in 14 villages for better drinking water

TNN Sep 28, 2011, 09.21am IST

ALLAHABAD: Aimed at improving drinking water availability in the rural areas, total 14 villages of the district have been selected for -- Swajaldhara programme. Selected villages include Akorghi, Badalpur, Cahubara, Mukundpur, Veerpur, Kusungur, Soprawari, Bargapur, Bhatkar, Kukurahi, Pahadpur, Rampur, Balrampur and Silodhi. State government would construct small water tanks in these villages.

Swajaldhara project assumes significance in the light of the fact that there are over one lakh rural habitations in the country that do not have drinking water of a suitable quality while some 15,000 do not have any drinking water supply while some 1,27,000 habitations are partially covered.

District development officer (DDO) Ramesh Chandra Pandey told TOI that the government will bear 80% of the cost while remaining 20% will be acquiring from the panchayats including 10% labour and 10% funds.

Areas which have been facing acute water crisis for long time have been selected for the scheme.

The key elements of the scheme include demand driven and community participation approach; panchayats/communities to plan, implement, operate, maintain and manage all drinking water schemes; partial capital cost sharing by the communities upfront in cash; full ownership of drinking water assets with gram panchayats; and full operation and maintenance by the users/panchayats. The unique feature of the scheme is that the rural folks should feel as the owners of the scheme.

Beneficiary groups, gram panchayats and blocks adopting the reforms principles are eligible for Swajaldhara projects, informed DDO.

Providing water supply facilities in schools and uncovered, partially covered and water scarcity habitations and revival of traditional water sources to ensure drinking water sustainability can also be implemented under Swajaldhara programme.