Eleventh Five Year Plan

168 Eleventh Five Year Planproviding institutions of Chennai and Bangalore aremeeting their O&M expenditure from the revenuegenerated from water tariff. The capital city of Delhi’sservice provider Delhi Jal Board is performing farbelow the desirable levels both in terms of serviceprovision, persistence of large amount of unpaidand unaccounted for water (UFW) as well as in tariffrealization.5.35 However the Tenth Five Year Plan has triggeredthe realization that institutions have to be selfsustainingand efficient service is the key to realize that.The lesson to be learnt is in today’s scenario, in urbanareas, people are willing to pay for the services, providedthey are reliable both in quantity as well asin quality. The experience of Bangalore is reflected inBox 5.2 below.Box 5.2Urban Slum Water SupplyThe Social Development Unit of Bangalore Water Supplyand Sewerage Board (BMWSSB) under the AusAIDMaster Plan project has helped to cover 10000 householdswith water supply in 43 Bangalore slums. This wasmade possible by reducing the connection fee, tariff,and effecting changes in the proof of residency. Thisway the illegal water connections were connected torevenue earning ones. All these connections were meteredand with individual connections, dependence on publicstand posts reduced. BMWSSB then cut down thewastages also. The most significant part was the assessingthe willingness and capacity to pay by slum dwellers andthe tariff made acceptable to the community by ensuringreliable service.5.36 To extend financial support to the State Government/localbodies and to provide water supply facilitiesin towns having population less than 20000 (asper 1991 census), the centrally sponsored AcceleratedUrban Water Supply Programme (AUWSP) waslaunched in March 1994. These towns are often neglectedduring normal times and are worst hit duringthe period of drought.5.37 So far, water supply schemes for 1244 townshave been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 1822.38 croreunder AUWSP since its inception from 1993–94 and639 schemes have been completed/commissioned.Since 2005–06, no schemes are being sanctionedunder the programme since scheme has beenmerged with the Urban Infrastructure DevelopmentScheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT).An amount of Rs 828.60 crore (till September2006) was released to the States and they havereported incurring an expenditure of Rs 805.83crore and the total expenditure reported is Rs 1412.88crore.5.38 An evaluation study carried out in 62 towns in24 States has shown that the programme has resultedin water supply augmentation and improved healthoutcomes but indicated the need for some designflexibility and institutional strengthening of localbodies for managing the completed schemes.MAJOR ISSUES IN URBAN WATER SUPPLYSustainability and Equity5.39 Sustainability in the urban water supply isaddressed mainly through supply side augmentation.Distant perennial sources are identified and longdistance piped water transfer to the cities and townsare common. Augmentation plans are generallygigantic and engineering-oriented and has greateracceptability at all levels. The demand managementis the least preferred option. However when itcomes to payment of water charges, the decision isinvariably with the elected government and notwith the executing agency, which has to depend onthe grants for O&M, for sustaining the quantityand quality.5.40 It is not uncommon that pockets of urbanareas would get higher service levels both in terms ofnumber of hours of water availability as well as percapita availability. The UFW due to leaking watersupply systems and illegal tapping reduces wateravailability. The average water loss in the leakingwater supply systems varies from place to place and itis generally between 20–50%. Dedicated efforts toplug the leakages are required in addition to demandmanagement measures for achieving the sustainabilityand equity.