WASMO: A Dynamic force in decentralizing Gujarat’s Rural Water Supply!

Published By : Admin | April 10, 2013 | 15:14 IST
"Shri Narendra Modi has empowered rural communities in managing drinking water supply with a the special purpose vehicle, WASMO."
"The formation of Pani Samitis (Water committees) has encouraged rural citizen’s participation in the decision making process of water management."
"Shri Modi’s attitude in bringing people at the centre of governance and leveraging local leadership has truly delineated decentralization."

It has been rightly said by Thomas Fuller, “We never know the worth of water till the well is dry." Gujarat has been a State where 20% area had 71% water resources and the remaining 80% areas had merely 29% water resources and  rural regions have been most affected by this crisis. Managing water resources has been one of the biggest challenges for the State Government.

However, it was Shri Narendra Modi’s political nerve which turned this crisis into an opportunity. He went a step ahead and created a ‘Special Purpose Vehicle’ called WASMO (Water and Sanitation Management Organization) in 2002 to empower the rural communities in managing drinking water supply and sanitation. It would thus be noteworthy to further learn more on how this community driven project has yielded marvelous tangible as well as intangible outcomes in molding decentralized, self-sustained villages.

One of the key drivers for involving rural citizens in the decision-making process of water supply has been the formation of Pani Samitis as sub-committees of the Gram Panchayat. The distinctiveness of these committees lies in the very aspect that women and marginalized groups have been assured adequate representation. WASMO carried out an extensive capacity-building programme to instill confidence among the committee members to carry out the financial activities of the Samiti.

The members of the Samiti are also directed to contribute towards ten percent of the capital costs in order to nurture a sense of ownership as well as responsibility towards welfare of the village. Pani Samitis have particularly institutionalized the involvement of women leading to a positive impact in terms of sanitation, health, checking water-borne diseases and reduction in drudgery. The number of Pani Samitis has powerfully grown from 82 to 18,076 between the years 2002 and 2012.

Moving ahead in ensuring safe drinking water to rural regions, WASMO implemented the Rural Drinking Water Quality and Surveillance Programme.Various sector partners of the Organization such as Gujarat Water Supply and Sewerage Board (GWSSB)and UNICEF played a role in this process. By the end of 2012, 16,676 water quality teams have been formed in different villages that hold the key responsibility in generating awareness safe drinking water and personal hygiene practices. Interestingly, these teams not only include activists from the Pani Samiti, Self-Help Groups (SHG), anganwadis but also make students and school teachers a part of the hygiene campaign.

The communitisation of rural water supply through WASMO has not only fulfilled Shri Narendra Modi’s idea of harnessing Jal-Shakti and making it an integral part of our culture and value system but was also been honored internationally with the United Nations Public Service Award –2009 under the category of “Fostering participation in policy-making decisions through innovative mechanisms” for “Institutionalization of Community Managed Drinking Water Supply Programme and User Level Water Quality”.

The far-reaching effects of decentralization through a social process driven approach adapted by WASMO can be witnessed in the improvement in the quality of rural lives. By the end of 2011, 72.22% of the households had tap connectivity in contrast to the national average of 26.6%. The rate of women who were affected by poor life condition in rural regions has substantially reduced from 53.8% to 7.7%. Moreover, the dependency on tankers for water supply has been momentously decreased from 3961 villages in 2003 to 7 villages in 2011.

The holistic nature of the State Government’s schemes for rural water supply implemented by WASMO has dealt with many issues such as travelling long distances to fetch water, conflicts in water distribution, dependence on external agencies etc.

Shri Narendra Modi’s attitude in bringing people at the centre of governance and leveraging local leadership has undoubtedly fulfilled Gandhiji’s idea of “Surajya” by strengthening the system of Panchayati Raj! WASMO has been a dynamic force in amalgamating people’s participation with governance.

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PM Modi’s Vision Fuels Delhi’s Development
April 12, 2024

“Delhi has the good fortune to get an opportunity of keeping the flag of nations' prestige flying high.”
- PM Narendra Modi as Delhi prepared to host the G20 Summit

The last ten years of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government have set in motion the creation of a New India—from rural to urban, from water to electricity, from houses to health, from education to employment, from castes to classes—a comprehensive plan bringing growth and prosperity to each doorstep.

The National Capital Territory of Delhi has emerged as a pivotal part of this dynamic developmental momentum spearheaded by PM Modi throughout this transformative decade.

The city has been at the heart of the infrastructural shift that has given a dedicated facelift to the entire nation. Today infrastructural marvels like Atal Setu, Chenab Bridge, Statue of Unity, and Zojila Tunnel dot India’s ever-evolving landscape.

With its focus on revamping transportation networks, upgrading urban amenities, and expanding digital infrastructure, the Modi government has launched an array of transformative initiatives. From railways, highways to airports, these initiatives have been key in galvanising inclusive and sustainable development across the length and breadth of the country.

The impressive expansion of the metro rail network has revolutionised urban commuting in India. From a mere 5 cities in 2014, the metro rail network now serves 21 cities across the nation—expanding from 248 km in 2014 to 945 km by 2024, with 919 km of lines under construction in 26 additional cities.

The Union Cabinet has recently approved two new corridors of Delhi Metro Phase-IV—Lajpat Nagar to Saket G-Block and Inderlok to Indraprastha. Both the lines have a combined length of over 20 kms with a project cost of over Rs. 8,000 crore (funding being sourced from the Union Govt, Govt of Delhi, and international agencies). The Inderlok- Indraprastha line will play a significant role in enhancing connectivity to the Bahadurgarh region of Haryana. Additionally, India’s first Namo Bharat train, operating on the Delhi-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) corridor further underlines the Modi government’s commitment to enhancing regional connectivity and upgrading its transportation infrastructure.

Further, the Bharatmala Pariyojana envisages improved logistics efficiency and connectivity via the development of nearly 35,000 km of National Highway corridors. 25 greenfield high-speed corridors have been planned under the plan out of which four intersect with Delhi’s growing infra capacity: Delhi-Mumbai Expressway, Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, Delhi-Saharanpur-Dehradun Expressway, and the Urban Extension Road-II. The total project length sanctioned for Delhi is 203 km with an allocation of over Rs. 18,000 crore.

Over the past decade, the Modi government has consistently dedicated efforts towards augmenting capacity and decongestion of airports. After the IGI Airport Delhi became the first airport in the country to have four runways and an elevated taxiway, the expanded state-of-the-art Terminal 1 has also been inaugurated recently. In addition, the upcoming Noida International Airport (Jewar) shall further contribute to decongestion of the Delhi airport which is serving millions of passengers annually.

Besides, the inauguration of the New Parliament has further added civilisational yet modern connotations to the city’s landscape. Inauguration of the Yashobhoomi (India International Convention & Expo Centre) has given Delhi India’s largest convention and exhibition centre, offering a mixed purpose tourism experience. Along with Yashobhoomi, the Bharat Mandapam, a world-class convention and exhibition centre, showcases India to the world.

In terms of welfare, the Modi government has launched several schemes benefitting people hitherto on the margins of growth and development. Women’s safety in Delhi has been a key concern. To address the same, the Modi government strengthened the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 2013 by increasing the quantum of punishment for rape, including capital punishment for rape of a girlchild below the age of 12.

The Union Home Ministry established a separate Women Safety Division back in 2018. One-stop centers, Sakhi Niwas, Safe City Project, Nirbhaya Fund, SHe-Box, Investigation Tracking System for Sexual Offences, and Cri-MAC (Crime Multi-Agency Center) among others are significant additions in the government’s campaign towards women safety.

In addition, Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Ujjwala Yojana, PM Matru Vandana Yojana, and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao have further led to the empowerment of Nari Shakti in India.

As India becomes the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world, Delhi is also contributing significantly towards this development. Today over 13,000 DPIIT-recognised startups are functioning in Delhi even as the government is promoting self-employment through PM MUDRA Yojana with over 2.3 lakh loans sanctioned worth over Rs. 3,000 crore for FY2023-24 (as on 26.01.2024).

PM SVANidhi, which provides collateral free loans to street vendors, is supporting over 1.67 lakh beneficiaries in Delhi. Further, under the Aatmanirbhar Bharat Rozgar Yojana, launched in 2020 to incentivise employers for creation of new employment and restoration of loss of employment during Covid-19 pandemic, over 2.2 lakh employees benefitted in Delhi.

Further, nearly 30,000 houses have been sanctioned and completed in Delhi under PM Awas Yojana (Urban).

Air pollution has been a recurring problem for the people of Delhi. Conscious of this reality, the central government has launched the National Clean Air Programme as a national level strategy to reduce air pollution level across the country.

The Modi government's tenure over the last decade has brought about a remarkable transformation in Delhi across various fronts. From infrastructure development to governance reforms, from education to employment, the government's initiatives have left an indelible mark on the capital city. As Delhi continues on its journey of progress and development, the contributions of the Modi government are set to shape its future trajectory for years to come.