ASHWAS: A CITIZENS SURVEY OF HOUSEHOLD WATER AND SANITATION

Context

ASHWAS conducted by Arghyam in 2008

Sample size :17200

Households across: 172 GPs Districts of Karnataka: 28

• Survey captured perceptions of citizens on water, sanitation, health and governance

• Survey reports developed for each GP, disseminated through half day meetings with each GP

• Most GPs did not seem to have capacity to internalize these issues and take action, even on urgent issues like quality

Objectives:

Key findings from ASHWASWater

• 45 % households face water shortage for more than a month

• % levels beyond permissible limits for water quality– Fluoride 60% (at WHO std)

– Bacterial 38% – Nitrate 20%

Sanitation

• 72% citizens practice open defecation

• 75% citizens either do not have access to drains or their drains are never cleaned

• 63% people undertake no form of treatment before drinking water

Key findings from ASHWAS- contd.

O&M and Governance:

• 21% GPs in Karnataka used water quality testing kit provided free.

• 73% disruption in water supply due to lack of O&M

• 42% of stipulated WATSAN committees (Village Water and Sanitation Committees) were active

• Rs.14/- was collected per capita p.a. water tax, as against a much higher per capita expenditure

• Merely 10-20% households pay water tariff.

3.99% 4.12% 4.78% 5.63% 5.87%8.18% 8.48%

22.51%

36.44%

0.00%

5.00%

10.00%

15.00%

20.00%

25.00%

30.00%

35.00%

40.00%

Series1 3.99% 4.12% 4.78% 5.63% 5.87% 8.18% 8.48% 22.51% 36.44%

Financial reason Natural calamityWater supply switch is not

switched on in Lack of staff

Water is contaminated

Reduced water availability

The source is dried up

Power cutPoor

maintainence

Reasons for Disruption in Water Supply

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We decided to explore capacity issues at the GP level in greater depth, with the premise that sustainable implementation cannot happen until the GPs are strengthened.

“Government line departments are pessimistic about GPs’ performance

which pushes GPs towards underperformance”

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Perspectives from the Ground: What do people and GP

members say?

“Women and men are equal members”

“A strong GP will demand for more transparency and accountability”

“GPs are important as now people have an agency to go to, as against going to the district or MLA/MP

who are too distant”

“Criticism against GPs is because funds are

coming directly to GPs”

“75% of the work in the villages is being done

through the GPs”

Other Perspectives

Despite the 73rd Amendment…

Panchayats are treated as the government’s delivery arm than as independent self governing units

The Issue

Challenges

Unwillingness in government to actually devolve power to the GPs. Strong preference to create parallel implementation structures

Capacity building efforts have focused on program delivery than governance and management

Financial allocations have increased, but are mostly tied funds. There is very little leeway for meeting administrative costs

With more money, but being weak organisations, GPs tend to become ripe platforms for strongmen to use/misuse their powers, reinforcing the GP stereotype.

A strong Gram Panchayat organisation will acquire negotiating powers to push the decentralisation

agenda at different levels

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A Strong Gram Panchayat Organisation…

Will strengthen local institutionsHelp it acquire negotiating abilityFacilitate decentralisation at different levels

Arghyam has followed the Organisation Development framework

to strengthen the GP Project objectives:

1. To design a step by step framework for developing a strong GP organisation

2. To initiate a process of real time change in 2 Gram Panchayats in Karnataka, while implementing the above framework

3. To leverage strengths and capacities of elected members and staff of the GP, as core members of the self governing body

Our Partners

GRAM PANCHAYATS O’Mittur (Kolar district) and Dibburhalli (Chikkaballapur district)

NGO PARTNERS

ADVISOR

HR CONSULTANTS

Grama Vikas (GV) and Foundation for Ecological Security (FES)

Shri T. R. Raghunandan, Former Jt. Sec, Govt of India

Panarc Consulting, New Delhi

Arghyam, BangalorePROGRAMME MANAGER

Key Aspects

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Vision workshop

Participatory Rural

Appraisal

Focus group Discussions

Unique focus areas

Aligning members and citizens to a VISION and PURPOSE

Our ApproachPurpose of the GP: Vision and Mission

* Roles - Responsibility Accountability, Collaboration and Information providing

Workflows and Roles: Process Mapping*

Organisation structure within the GP

Clear action plans: Perspective and annual plans

Handholding GP during implementation of plans

Functions Mapped:

1. Street Light maintenance2. Drinking water through

piped water supply3. Cleanliness of roads and

drains4. Procurement5. Complaint handling6. Greening the village7. Food security8. PDS9. Fixing Water tariff10. Preventive health11. NREGA12. Housing13. Education14. Revenue generation15. Protection of CPR16. Agriculture and Animal

husbandry17. Planning

Not just the role of the GP, but role clarity within the GP, among members and staff

Production Standing Com

Social Justice Standing Com

Amenities Standing Com

Grama Sabha/ Ward

Sabha

•Revenue Generation •Greening the village •Agriculture and animal husbandry •NREGA

• PDS•Food Security •Complaint handling

•Drinking Water- piped water supply •Cleanliness of roads and drains •Preventive health

•Housing- •Protection of CPR •Education • Street light maintenance

•Facilitating capacity building of heads, staff and members

Heads to be supported by staff, members, Line departments and 61A Committees

Together with Panchayat members, we arrived at this organisation structure for these two GPs

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O’Mittur Panchayat Members:

Time spent on ActivitiesNo. GP Members

Time spent between May and December, 2013

1 Bharathi, Social Justice Head

12.65%

2 Nagarajappa, Production Head

18.83%

3 Amarnarayan Swamy, Amenities I Head

8.42%

4 Venkatramappa, Amenities II Head

9.23%

5 Vasantha Kumari, Capacity Building Head

19.90%

18

Dhibburhalli Panchayat Members:

Time spent on ActivitiesNo. GP Members

Time spent between May and December, 2013

1 Venugopal, Social Justice Head

21.89%

2 B.C Manjunath, Production Head

22.30%

3 Narsimha Reddy, Amenities I Head

20.20%

4 D.P Nagaraj, Amenities II Head

15.97%

5 Nataraj, Capacity Building Head

18.52%

The structure enables GPs and other institutions to leverage each other better

Function: Drinking Water- piped water supply

Function: Cleanliness of roads and drains, sanitation

Function: Preventive health

Departments and programmes

- Taluka Panchayat:- Panchayat Raj Engineering

Department - Mines and Geology

Department- Statistics/ Revenue

Department

- Takula Panchayat, Junior Engineer

- Department of Health- Nirmal Bharat Abhiyaan

- Taluka and District Health offices

- Public Health- Centre- Arogya Raksha Samiti

VNHSC, Waterman, Bill Collector

VNHSC ANM, ASHA/Anganwadi worker, VNHSC

Sub GP bodies and staff

Example of Head- Amenities I

A step by step approach for strengthening the GP organisation

as a self governing unit

Elected members should be at the centre of the change process

GPs should develop their own long term vision and purpose , which is not just a sum of government programs

Key processes for service delivery, governance and management should be developed along with the members

GPs should have an internal organisation structure, focusing on distributed leadership and building stronger ownership among members

For sustaining a well functioning GP, supportive policy formulations

are required

Create provisions for GPs and government institutions to leverage each other better

Mutual expectations and funds flow to be spelt outParallel bodies such as SDMC, BVS etc. to be accountable to

the GP

Compensate GP for delivery of rural development programs

Create provision for compensating GP members for work done

A more targeted and GP centric training by SIRDs and other institutes

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Thank you

Arghyam, Bangalore

Contact Information: Habeeb Noor (habeeb@arghyam.org) or Sonali Srivastava (sonali@arghyam.org)