A message posted on the Right to Water e-mail discussion list describes irregularities in a government programme for community-managed rural water schemes in Rajasthan, India.

At the end of 2002 the Government of India launched a country wide ‘Swajal Dhara’ Programme based on ‘the Swajal’ project in Uttar Pradesh. The programme supports community-managed schemes in villages for drinking water supply. Local communities provide 10 per cent of the funds while the rest comes from Government. In some places non-governmental organisations (NGOs) help communities to plan the schemes which are technically controlled by the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) . User charges are meant to cover operating costs. In most cases however, the Sarpanch (village leader) or a just a few people are putting in the 10 per cent and dictate where the scheme should go. Many have dug their own personal tubewells. It is suggested that costs “are being hiked exorbitantly, to facilitate cuts of government and local leaders”.

Contact: Viren, spwdudpr@datainfosys.net

Source: Right to Water e-mail discussion list, 26 May 2004

Swajal Dhara Programme, http://www.swajal.org/dhara

Tags: financing, policies & legislation