The High Powered Technical Expert Group (TEG) constituted by the Department of Drinking Water Supply, Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India to examine various emerging issues in drinking water and sanitation sector and suggest measures to tackle the new challenges, visited Gujarat during September 10-11, 2007. The TEG members who visited Gujarat included Mr. Gaurishankar Ghosh (Founder Mission Director, Ex-Chief, Water & Saniation, UNICEF, New York, and former Executive Director, WSSCC, WHO, Geneva), Mr. Ravi Narayanan (Ex-CEO, Action Aid and Ex-Director, Water Aid, UK), Mr. Sudarshan Iyenger, Vice Chancellor, Gujarat Vidyapeeth and Dr. A.K. Susheela (Former Professor & Head, Department of Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Science).

On 10 September, 2007, the TEG met with the higher officials of Government of Gujarat including Chief Secretary, GoG, and had interactions with officials from the departments of Water Supply, Water Resources, Health and Rural Development. The discussions focused on the status of the ongoing programmes and issues and emerging challenges in the community-managed approach in rural areas; critical linkages with other sectors for optimal impact on better health for the poor and institutional linkages with other programmes like NRHM, watershed development; integration between drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene with health at the grass root level; existing gaps in water and sanitation, technologies and its usage, new R&D efforts and latest advances. The discussions also dealt with the WASMO institutional model for building partnerships with the community and with NGOs working in the sector in order to carry out the social processes and bring in community participation and involvement.

 The group also had a meeting with representatives from various NGOs in Gujarat working in the sectors of water supply and water resource management. Issues such as need for separate approaches for tribal and coastal areas, defining roles and partnerships between various stakeholders (Centre, State, NGO, community), role of the central Government in wake of discontinuing the Swajaldhara programme, need for initiatives like the Pani Smaiti in other sectors etc. were discussed.

On the second day the TEG visited two villages in Surendranagar district involved in community-managed in-village water supply and water resource management. The group interacted with the Pani Samiti members who were responsible for implementation of community-managed programme and women from the villages. The TEG also had a meeting with the UNICEF representatives of the State during their visit.