-: [rti4empowerment] Suggestions for Rockefeller Foundation, Catalytic Network

PARTICIPATION BY CITIZENS IN FACING WATER SHORTAGE

PRACTICAL ISSUES IN MANAGING WATER SCARCITY

1. A critical shortage in water supply is visible in most of the cities in India, arising from unprecedented growth in recent years. Climate changes have added complexities to the rural areas as rainfall is getting erratic and there is impending shortage of water, as the snow-fed rivers would be affected by melting of glaciers, due to global warming. There is need to generate awareness of the situation, to cope with the impending crisis of water shortages. There is wide disparity in gravity of the situation in different parts of country and therefore there in need for evolving local solutions, for highly decentralized implementation.
2. Basic solution to water shortage lies in:
1. Economical use of water.
2. Re-use of wastewater for gardening, flush, etc.
3. Measures to recharge ground water and to ensure that water table is not allowed to fall below a specified level.
4. Successful implementation of Government funded schemes to deal with scarcity of water.
5. Measures to ensure public accountability of grass-root government authorities, by transparency and promoting their interaction with citizens.
6. Social audit by citizens, enabled by public access to Government records, enabled by Right To Information Act 2005.

3. INNOVATION CHALLENGES FOR STRUCTURAL CHANGES TO DEAL WITH IMPENDING PROBLEM OF WATER SCARCITY.

There is need for putting citizens at the centre-stage for resolving the problem. Centralized development schemes sponsored by the Government cannot work, due to local diversity. Section 4 of RTI Act requires suo-moto of disclosure of information by the public authority so that citizens have the information needed by them and do not have to resort to RTYI application s to get the information needed by them. This requires systematic disclosure and dissemination of information by the grass-root public authorities, aimed to facilitate public participation in resolving the problem. Citizen should be active partner in implementing the schemes to conserve water, instead of passive recipient.

4. WATER MANAGEMENT AS PER THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA

Constitution of India was modified over 50 years back by 73rd. and 74th amendment, that empowers Municipalities and Panchayats to deal with issues relating to water supply. Accordingly the problem of acute water shortage is to be resolved by local-self -government. In practice, State Governments have not devolved finances and functions to Panchayats and Municipalities; Article 243G and 243W have not been implemented. According to the Schedule XII of the Constitution of India, Municipalities are responsible for Urban Planning, Water supply for domestic industrial and commercial purpose, etc. Schedule XI of the Constitution of India empowers Panchayats to manage minor irrigation, water management, watershed development and drinking water. In practice these are managed through schemes sponsored by central and state governments. The schemes are centrally administered and lack community involvement. Municipalities and Panchayats are not functioning as self-governing bodies.

5. NATIONAL WATER POLICY

There are lots of good ideas about tackling water shortage available on the web site of Water Resources Government of India: http://wrmin.nic.in/. National Water Policy was formulated in 2002 and after number of consultation meetings/ brainstorming sessions/discussions with NGOs, Panchayats, Corporate Sector, etc; DRAFT REVISED NATIONAL WATER POLICY 2012 has emerged. There was conference on "EFFICIENT WATER MANAGEMENT: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES." in April 2013 and details are available in the web site. What is lacking is:
o Administrative action on the suggestions emerging from these centralized deliberations.
o Clear-cut empowerment of Municipalities and Panchayats to find solution to local problems, as envisaged in the Constitution of India.
o Decentralized planning by the local authorities, funded by Central and State Governments, without interference in implementation.
o Public participation by (i) Educational programs aimed on educating public about the crisis of water shortage. (ii) Transparency in Government sponsored programs and (iii) Social Audit by citizens.

6. How can "Rockefeller Foundation's Catalytic Network" help?

1. There is no dearth of good suggestions and innovative ideas, as there have been widespread consultation on the subject; although suggestions available in http://wrmin.nic.in/. are quite comprehensive and gravity of the crisis is getting ignored. For example, although water table has been continuously falling, Delhi Jal Board continues to draw underground water to meet current consumption. Generally, the wastage of water in the city does not show that any one is bothered about the crisis. Rockefeller Foundation may promote study be small expert groups in every major city to focus attention on the impending crisis.

2. There is need to spread awareness about the crisis and haw can every individual contribute towards solution. Simple booklets should be prepared for wide dissemination through school, colleges, RWAs, NGOs, etc.
3. There is need for advocacy and capacity building, aimed at empowerment of local self-governing bodies to find local solutions to the impending crisis in their jurisdiction.

4. Rockefeller Foundation Catalytic Network may produce simplified guidelines to facilitate community participation in decentralized planning (taking a holistic view of water as diminishing finite resource) by

i. Identifying current local problem areas to take a long-term view about availability of water, with focus on impending crisis wherever there is continuous decline in availability of water.
ii. Formulating short-term small projects, which can be taken up by the community with the help of Municipalities and Panchayats.
iii. Formulating suggestions for large projects, involving larger areas, where intervention of Central and State Governments is needed.
iv. Monitoring projects funded by Government, to ensure that expected outcome is achieved.
o Social Audit to prevent corruption and waste of public money. Rockefeller Foundation Catalytic Network may formulate simplified guideline for enabling Social Audit by citizens.
o Rockefeller Foundation Catalytic Network may formulate guidelines for disclosure and dissemination of information by grass-root public authorities, to facilitate community participation in managing water as a scarce finite resource.

Dhirendra Krishna IA&AS (Retired)
Email: dhirendra.krishna@yahoo.com