Village level dynamics over formation of water committee – Field experience

As a follow-up to the decisions taken during CB and stakeholders’ workshop in Gurgaon, efforts are being made towards formation of a village level water committee. However, village dynamics come into picture when one goes about forming the committee.  Below is an account of our interaction with the Sarpanch in Sultanpur village. The field visit was made by Pranay Ranjan and Dr. Vishal Narain.

One of the highlights of the day was the conversation we could have with the village Sarpanch. He was slightly busy with his responsibility of distributing old age pension to the fellow villagers. Sarpanch of a nearby village, Kaliawas, was also around. Interestingly, when the Sultanpur Sarpanch mentioned that water pipelines in his village are in a dilapidated stage, the Kaliawas Sarpanch agreed with him and said that his village also faces the same issue. Susheel ji, the Sultanpur Sarpanch, went on to add that it is only when the old cement pipes are changed and new Iron pipes are re-laid that the water situation will improve. We also asked him what he wanted to do next in order to improve the water situation in this village. His first reaction to this question was ‘aap batao, aapka kya programme hai’, which means, ‘you tell me what is your programme’! We had to reiterate the fact that it is a village issue and the villagers need to take the initiative and come forward on this. In the same context, we asked him for his views on formation of village level water management committee. To this, he said that it will be possible to form the committee only after the water pipes have been changed and water starts reaching every house. It is only then that one needs to form a committee that looks after the water issues. He added that even if a committee is formed, he and other Panchayat members would have to do all the running around. People will not take much initiative. ‘Committee ban bhi gayee, to kaam to mujhe hi karna padega’. (‘Even if the committee is formed I will have to do all the work’,) he said.

We also took this opportunity to ask him if he thinks that some improvement has happened in responsiveness of service providers since the inception of our work in the village. To this, he said that there has been a lot of improvement in this regard. We also told him about the importance of putting pressure on service providers, in order for them to deliver. We also said that we are around whenever they need any help. However, they should take up the water issues actively on their part as well. To this, the Sarpanch said that, ‘Thoda aap dabaaw daalte raho, thoda hum bhi dabaaw daalte rahein to kaam sahi ho jayega! What this means is, ‘you put some pressure, we will also put some pressure; by doing so, the work will get done’! 

Field visit to peri-urban village Mallampet, Hyderabad – January 13, 2011

Mallampet Village (Qutubullapur Mandal)
Rangareddy District, Andhra Pradesh

Sara Ahmed (IDRC) and SaciWATERs peri-urban team visited the peri urban village of Mallampet in Hyderabad on the 13th of Jan, 2011. Several observations were made during the visit. Large quantities of ground water is being abstracted from this village and supplied to nearby industries by private tankers. This village has three bores for this purpose, out of which two have dried up and only one bore, 350 feet in depth is operational. Ground water is pumped and stored in an open tank, water from which is then pumped into the tankers, each having a capacity of 10,000 litres. For every trip that the tanker makes, the tanker company pays Rs 600 to the owner of the land with the bore. Twenty such trips are made in one day, seven trips during day time and thirteen at night. Electricity bill for each month is around Rs 16,000 borne by the land owner.

Water from this village is supplied to approximately 10 industries in the Bollaram Industrial Area located nearby mostly having boilers, iron foundries, chemical and pharmaceutical companies. Around 40 tankers operate in this area with 3-4 tankers operating in Mallampet village.

At the Panchayat office, the Sarpanch informed that drinking water from the Manjira River is supplied till Nizampet village which is 6 km far and Mallampet doesn't have a water supply. Some people in Mallampet sell Manjira water by bringing the water from any of the surrounding villages that gets the supply. The villagers, thus, depend on bore water for their drinking as well as daily needs. There are also high levels of fluoride in the groundwater because of which the panchayat has set up a water treatment plant. Groundwater is stored in a tank (locally known as samp), this is then transferred to an overhead tank from which water is supplied to taps and the filter plant. It costs Rs 2 for a can of 20l water, if collected at the plant location, home delivery costs Rs 8 for each 20l can.

There are 3 lakes (known as cheruvu locally) in the village which are getting polluted by the industrial effluents as well as household wastewater. Construction of the outer ring road is being carried out adjacent to one of the lakes called Khatwa cheruvu, A portion of this lake is being filled up in order to construct the outer ring road. This is a very large lake and relatively not as polluted, but is lined by industries on one side as well as bore wells along the lake periphery. Another lake, Chennangi cheruvu on the other hand, is very polluted primarily because of the waste water released by a number of households nearby. A lot of plastic materials, garbage as well as dead fishes were spotted on the banks of the lake during the field visit. 

Field visit by Dr. Sara Ahmed and SaciWATERs team to peri-urban village Mallampet, Hyderabad.

Few pictures of the field visit by Sara Ahmed (IDRC) with the SaciWATERs team to Mallampet village in peri urban Hyderabad. Large quantities of ground water is abstracted from this village and supplied to nearby industries by private tankers.


Pictures courtesy - Sara Ahmed 

 Ground water being pumped out and stored in an open tank 

Water from tank is pumped into the tanker. Each tanker has a capacity of 10,000 litres. 

For every trip that the tanker makes, the tanker company pays Rs 600 to owner of the land with the bore

Borewell on ‘Khatwa lake’ in the village. A portion of this lake is being filled up in order to construct the outer ring road. 

 

 Chennangi lake - polluted primarily because of the waste water released by a number of households nearby. A lot of plastic materials, garbage, as well as dead fish were spotted on the banks of the lake during the field visit.