Ensuring sustainability of rural drinking water systems: Case presentation from a national symposium organised by IIM Bangalore, appointed by the center as the JJM chair for O&M, Arghyam and eGovernments Foundation on 2nd November 2023.

1. Managing Drinking
Water Infrastructure
in West Bengal
By - Sujata Tripathy

2. In collaboration with
Gram Panchayats
Block & District administration
State P&RD and PHED
National Jal Jeevan Mission – Sector Partner
Knowledge and Technical Partners
CSR and other International Donors

4. Process Followed
Proposed site finalization
in discussion with the
Block and the GP.
Feasibility study and
developing the DPR
Finalizing budget and
proposal.
Finalizing design and
estimate
Co-Finance mobilization-
Community and G.P
Finalizing vendor through
fair tendering process
Soil testing
Start of construction (
Boring work, Overhead
tank construction, earth
excavation, pipe laying,
earth filling, boundary
wall, pump house)
Formation of Piped water
operation and
Maintenance Committee
Facilitating the
development of O&M
plan with the G.P and the
water User Committee
Sensitization and
community mobilization
for tariff collection
Electrification
Installation of stand
points at household level
along with metering
system.
Capacity Building and
strengthening of the
‘Water User Committee’
and the local government
Handover to the gram
panchayat

5. Scheme Management of Digambarpur SVS
CURRENT CHALLENGE: Community reluctant to pay tariff as the JJM schemes are free of cost in W.B; Electricity
fluctuation and high charges; still dependency on hand pumps for drinking.
SOURCE
-Ground water source with boring
depth 960 ft.
-WQ test two time a year.
-Chlorination done in a regular
interval(Every two months)
INSTITUTIONAL DOMAIN
-Formation of O&M committee
with 26 members.
-Strengthening of the VWSC
committee.
-Jalbandhu as a service provider for
addressing repairing needs.
OPERATIONAL DOMAIN
426 families covered within 6 km of
radius.
-OHT with capacity of 200,000
litres, three times a day supply.
-Metered connections.
-Tariff mechanism(Rs 50 for 200
litres per family per day; extra Rs 1
for every litre added).
-Two care takers for taking care of
the unit.
FINANCIAL DOMAIN
-Annual maintenance cost – Rs
4,88,000.
52.5% covered through tariff. Rest
covered from Panchayat and PHED.

6. Challenges in O&M of Scheme Management
SOURCE
-Water level going down e.g 1100 ft
in South 24 Prgs.
-Land issue(Land Vs Water Source).
-Water Scarce areas vs Flood Prone
areas.
INSTITUTIONAL DOMAIN
-Lack of Visibility to service
providers and their performance
while working at scale.
-Lack of convergence.
-Weakened Institutional capacity-
VWSCs/frontline workers/SHGs.
OPERATIONAL DOMAIN
-Poor Quality pipe laying work.
-Scattered households.
-Unskilled masons.
-Lack of trusted and real time data
for planning and monitoring.
-Lack of SOP on O&M.
-Annual maintenance cost – no
plans available –no sufficient funds.
-Electricity issues in flood prone
area.
FINANCIAL DOMAIN
-Poor utilization of funds due to
lack of trust in the data.
-Delay in fund transfer/payments.

7. Scale Approach
From Direct Implementaion approach in South 24 Prgs towards Scale Approach in Birbhum
on replication of SVS and VAP preparation- Extended support PHED & P& RD in W.B
Direct
Implementatio
n approach
Finance Physical Operation Institution
Scale approach
Institution Operation Finance Physical
Priority Focus: Institutional Strengthening
Priority Focus: Model Building at Local level

8. Scale Enablers
TECHNOLOGY- DIGITAL PLATFORM:
• Journey process captured: digital contents
developed.
• Use of real time data: over 3,78,952 households;
4,045 public institutions.
STATE P&RD AND DISTRICT SUPPORT – ISSUANCE OF
MANDATES:
• Master trainer and frontline worker identified and
trained for data collection- 1,297.
INCENTIVES FOR TASKS: over Rs. 11 lakhs released.

9. Scale achievements so far….
SBM 2 JJM
Planning Preparation of model decentralized SWM and LWM DPRs. Village Profiling under VAP
Waste Management real time data. 564 Social Map + 591 Resource Map available for planning
Support to Hooghly District on Technical feasibility
Facilitation of GPDP; representation in DWSM
Capacity Building Training of 58 engineers across 3 new districts + Training of 300+ Jt
BDOs and Nirman Sahayaks on SWM & LWM.
Trained 19 Jr. Engineers; 19 Jt.BDOs;19 BDM;19 ISA on JJM
and its execution . 209 sessions done
542 villages oriented on JJM and SBM for generating citizen demand. 1297 frontline workers trained on data collection
7 Digital Contents
Monitoring 3,74,432 HH + 4035 PI on JJM and SBM 2 for decision making
Part of the review team for DPR review and recommendation for approval
BCC Part of the IEC/BCC special committee of the District and State for planning and roll out support

10. Success Observed
5. The state government released over Rs. 11
lakhs towards remuneration for data collection.
6. The programs get useful, verifiable & real time
data on who was trained, on what, where and on
what is happening post the training.
2. Help in preparation of SLWM DPR
3. Digital solutions for the service providers,
increasing the overall governance and participation.
04. Data was used in updating IMIS like number of
households, number of Household having single pit toilet,
functional FHTCs, etc.
1. Enhanced community engagement,
making it more effective, transparent;
visible and measurable with trusted data .

11. Challenges that remain unsolved: Journey of
JJM Process
The JJM and SBM 2 roll out progress in
W.B is slow therefore it sometimes
delays our intervention plan targets
The convergence between
departments(PHED and PnRD) with
respect to JJM still challenging
therefore frontline workers/cadre for
C.B at District/Block and G.P not
defined
Huge target of meeting FHTC by 2024
and SBM 2 model villages by 2024-
2025 therefore priority on hardware;
fund is available but utilization not at
par
Prioritization of O&M and system
strengthening mechanism( who, what,
how to address not clear)-
Identification/Strengthening of
frontline cadre with Incentives still not
clear
No mechanism for capturing real time
data on functionality and O&M
No defined mechanism for tracking
Behaviour Change Communication roll
out status