QUICK BYTES: NATIONAL RURAL DRINKING WATER PROGRAMME (NRDWP)

$$ National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP)is a flagship scheme of the Ministry of Rural Development.

$$ Goal:

Goal of the programme is to provide every rural person with adequate safe water for drinking, cooking and other domestic basic needs on a sustainable basis.

$$ components under the programme are:

i) Coverage for providing safe and adequate drinking water supply to unserved, partially served and slipped-back habitations,

ii) Sustainability to encourage States to achieve drinking water security at the local level,

iii) Provide potable drinking water to Quality-affected habitations,

iv) Desert Development Programme (DDP) areas to tackle the extreme conditions of low rainfall and poor water availability,

v) Mitigate drinking water problems in rural areas in the wake of Natural Calamities,

vi) Operation & Maintenance (O&M) for expenditure on running, repair and replacement costs of drinking water supply projects and

vii) Support activities.

$$ Centre: State share in funding:
i) 50:50 cost sharing basis between Centre & State.
ii) 90:10 cost sharing basis between Centre & North East States and J&K.

$$ What is the priority for selecting villages for taking up drinking water schemes?

Water being a State subject, States are the implementing agencies for drinking water schemes. Normally, States select villages based on following priorities: a) Habitations which have no safe drinking water provision or in which not all people have drinking water provision. b) Habitations where drinking water sources are contaminated. Among quality affected habitations those affected with chemical contamination of source by arsenic and fluoride are given highest priority followed by those affected by excess iron, salinity, nitrate etc.

$$ What is safe drinking water?

Safe drinking water should have the following characteristics: Colourless (b) Odorless (c) Free from bacteriological contamination and (d) Free from chemical contamination.

$$ How can a village test its drinking water source?.

Villagers can test their drinking water sources using Field test kits available with the Gram Panchayats. On finding any contamination, they can report to the Gram Panchayat, which, with the assistance of State officials will arrange testing in water quality laboratories for confirmation.

$$ What should the villagers do to get the benefit under NRDWP?

Villagers need to approach the Gram Panchayat, Block Panchayat or District Panchayat or the district or block level Public Health Engineering Department (PHED) Officers for getting benefit of coverage under NRDWP.

$$ Who will guide villagers in case of any clarification regarding the programs?

Gram Panchayat or Block Panchayat or block level PHED engineers will give guidance/clarification if and when required

$$ Who is the authority to be contacted in case of complaints, misappropriation etc.?

Such issues can be raised in Gram Sabha meetings/VWSC meetings or can be reported to the Block/Zilla Panchayat or District Water & Sanitation Mission.