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WASMO is a facilitating
organisation working towards drinking water security and habitat
improvement by empowering communities to manage their local
water sources, drinking water supply and environmental
sanitation. |
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Although the
government had undertaken several initiatives since the 1980s in
the drinking water sector, sustainability had become a major
issue. Almost 75 per cent of the drinking water needs were met
through ground water and its overuse had led to a decline in
ground water tables and water quality. Moreover, the local
communities had no ownership over the government-installed water
supply systems.
In 1993,
the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution created a
paradigm shift in the drinking water sector. There was a shift
from the supply-driven government-owned systems to decentralised
demand-driven, community-owned water supply and sanitation
systems, with emphasis on empowerment and capacity building of
the local communities. The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs)
were given a constitutional status and had greater power in
managing local resources and community affairs.
Later, in
1999, sector reform was introduced by the Government of India (GoI)
and gave rural communities additional authority in implementing
and managing their own water supply and sanitation systems. The
Government of Gujarat also formulated a strategy to reduce the
dependence on groundwater and instead aimed to create in-village
drinking water security through a combination of ground water
and surface water systems.
After GoI
introduced sector reforms in rural drinking water supply, a
distinct need was felt for establishing an organisation that
could develop and promote the hardware as well as software
aspects of the reforms in an equitable, sustainable and
transparent manner. The objectives and approach of the sector
reforms encompassed a whole spectrum of activities, needing
diverse skills, expertise and infrastructure. WASMO was
consequently established to facilitate the implementation of the
reforms. |
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Establishing WASMO | |
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The
state government of Gujarat established the Water and
sanitation Management Organisation (WASMO) as an
autonomous institution in 2002. The organisation is
registered under the Societies (Registration) Act, 1860,
and the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950. WASMO, with the
help of NGOs working as
Implementation Support Agencies
(ISAs) in rural areas, assists village panchayats and
pani samitis
(village water and
sanitation committees) in planning, implementing and
maintaining their water supply and sanitation systems.
It provides them with technical and financial support,
and serves as a platform for interaction between
government bodies, non government organisations (NGOs)
and civil society. It also promotes community-based
rainwater harvesting with the use of traditional
knowledge with local innovations. WASMO seeks to bridge
information gaps on water resource management, safe
drinking water, hygiene and sanitation issues. |
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WASMO’s Strategy | |
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WASMO's strategy reflects the reforms in the drinking
water supply sector. It believes that sustainability is
possible if the systems created are demand-driven and
community-owned, and people are appropriately empowered
to manage them. For this, the creation or strengthening
of village level institutions such as pani samitis
is essential. WASMO trains pani samiti members to
effectively plan, implement and manage water supply
systems, handle their finances, and spread awareness on
personal hygiene and sanitation. It emphasises that
women are made part of the entire process as they are
the main users and managers of water in households and
look after household hygiene. |
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The key ingredients of WASMO's strategy are: |
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1. |
Empowerment and strengthening
of village-level institutions; |
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Emphasis on surface water sources by capturing
run-off rainwater to recharge groundwater, roof-top
rain water harvesting, and by utilising the
inter-basin transfer of water from water-surplus
South Gujarat to water-deficient North Gujarat,
Saurashtra and Kutch; |
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3. |
Building demand-driven, community-owned and
decentralised local water supply and sanitation
systems; |
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4. |
sanitation campaigns in villages to promote hygiene and
cleanliness, especially among schoolchildren; |
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5. |
Partnership with like-minded
organisations at all levels. |
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WASMO
strives to be an open and inclusive organisation, building
partnerships with civil society and pooling all available
knowledge in order to reach its goals. It is eager to learn from
various sources and to experiment with new ideas and
innovations. While it is committed to local needs and
aspirations, it is fully aware of global trends. |
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