(a) whether the Government propose to revamp the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP);
(b) if so, the details thereof,
(c) whether the Government have undertaken some pilot projects under the revamped scheme; and
(d) if so, the details thereof and the State where these projects are likely to be implemented?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT (SHRI ANNASAHEB M. K. PATIL)
(a) & (b): The Government has partly revamped the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) by introducing reforms in the Rural Water Supply Sector which envisages to institutionalise community participation in the rural water supply activities to ensure sustainability of assets created under the Programme and the sources on which they are dependent. Upto 20% of ARWSP funds could be used for the implementation of the reforms projects.
(c) & (d): Pilot projects have been sanctioned for the implementation of the sector reforms in 63 districts spread across all the States of India except Goa and Manipur. The salient features of Sector Reform Projects are:
- adoption of a demand-driven approach based on empowerment of villagers to ensure their full participation in the project planning, decision making in the choice of scheme design and management arrangement; - shift of Government`s role from provider to facilitator; - focus on village level capacity building ; - ensuring an integrated service delivery mechanism by streamlining the functions of the agencies involved in project implementation and; - partial capital cost sharing and full O&M cost sharing by users; - taking up of conservation measures for sustained supply of water through rainwater harvesting and ground water recharge.