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Chapter 2Policy, Legislation and RegulationE-Governance has received a big boost. The entire Local Governments have moved onto online MIS under NREGA.A social audit system has been put in place and accountability, both formal andinformal has improved tremendously.It is expected that once NREGS is in full steam, flow of funds to village panchayats couldmatch the already high flow under peoples plan.The proposed ESMF will facilitate improvedThe most important lesson from NREGA environmental management of local areasexperience is that just as People‟s Plan was the through the LSG projects integrated withmotive force which pushed decentralization in NREGS componentsthe state, NREGA could be used for furtherempowering the panchayat raj system. It is as much an instrument for empowerment ofPanchayat raj Institutions as an instrument for poverty reduction.2..2..3.. Prrogrrammess2.2.3.1. Drinking Water Supply ProgrammesDrinking Water Supply is a State subject and funds have been provided in the State budgets fordrinking water supply right from the first Five Year Plan. A national water supply andsanitation programme was introduced in the social welfare sector in the year 1954 to augmentthe efforts of states. The Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP), introduced in1972-73 to assist the States and the Union Territories with 100% grants-in-aid, is one suchscheme. The entire programme was given a Mission approach as part of the five TechnologyMissions launched in 1986. It was named as National Drinking Water Mission (NDWM), as one ofthe five Societal Missions and renamed in 1991 as as Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking WaterMission (RGNDWM). The Mission has the following programmes:a) Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme(ARWSP) for supplementing the efforts of StateGovernments in providing access to safe drinking water to all rural habitations of the country.b) Sector reform programme for institutionalizing community participation in capital costsharing, Operation & Maintenance and Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance in identifiedpilot districts.c) Sub Missions, five in number, on problems of water quality and sources drying up needingconstruction of water conservation and recharge structures and other measures with the Statesplanning and approving them on their own.d) Human Resource Development(HRD).e) Research & Development(R&D).f) Information, Education and Communication(IEC).g) Management Information System(MIS).h) Provision of water supply in rural schools.i) Monitoring & Investigation Units, Purchase of Rigs, Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance,Monitoring &Evaluation Activity, Solar Voltaic Pumps and innovative projects.The implementing agencies for the programme in the State is Kerala Water Authority (KWA)and it is envisaged to involve LSGs for the implementation of schemes, particularly in selecting
Environmental Assessment ReportKerala Local Government Strengthening Projectthe location of standpost, spot sources, operation and maintenance, fixing of cess/watertariff, etc.From the financial year 1999-2000 onwards, incentives in the form of additional funds aregiven to the States which initiate steps for institutionalising community participation in therural water supply programme. Sate Governments will implement the following broaderelements:adoption of a demand-driven approach based on empowerment of villagers to ensuretheir full participation in the project through a decision making role in the choice ofscheme design and management arrangement;focus on village level capacity building (Village Water and Sanitation Committees);ensure an integrated service delivery mechanism by streamlining the functions of theagencies involved in project implementation and;10% (at least) capital cost sharing and 100% sharing of O&M cost by users. Theproportion of capital cost shared should increase proportionately with increasingservice demand. This contribution can be in the form of cash or kind (labour, land ormaterial)Taking up of conservation measures for sustained supply of water through rainwaterharvesting and ground water recharge structures.The project envisages Constitution of Water and Sanitation Mission (WSM) at the State andDistrict Level. The District Water and Sanitation Mission (DWSM) shall be a registered society tofunction under the supervision, control and guidance of Zilla Parishad. Wherever LSGs arefirmly in place and are ready and willing to take up the responsibility of effectiveimplementation of Sector Reform Project, they may be allowed to implement the project inthose districts instead of the DWSM. In such districts constitution of DWSM may not bemandatory.The guidelines also envisage the setting up of Village Water and Sanitation Committees(VWSCs) in each Gram Panchayat for implementation of Water Supply Scheme of their ownchoice with active participation of villagers. The composition and functions of the VWSCs canbe regulated by a set of by-laws under the State Panchayati Raj Acts. The role of VWSC are:ensure that GPs take up the issues related to this programme in each Gram Sabha meetingensure community participation and decision making in all scheme activitiesarrange community contributions to capital costs, bothin cash and kind (land, labour, materials)open and manage bank accounts for depositingcommunity cash contributions and for management ofproject funds that may be solely channelled throughthem; signing on behalf of the community, planning ofwater and sanitation activitiesprocure construction materials/goods and selection ofcontractors for construction activities related to RWSand Sanitation sectors48Such schemes proposed for theLSG will be subjected to theproposed ESMF procedure toensure the requiredenvironmental managementneeds so as to improve thesustainability aspects of thescheme
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