Institutionalization of users' level - Water quality monitoring and surveillance in Gujarat - A report by WASMO

It has been found that waterborne diseases due to contaminated drinking water are rampant in the state of Gujarat along with chronic illnesses associated with the presence of chemical contaminants in the drinking water. Community involvement in managing water quality has been identified as an important step to deal with this situation.

The report sheds light on the mechanisms undertaken for participatory involvement and the outcomes of the implementation of the programme. The participatory measures involved awareness campaigns, development of a mechanisms for community participation and partnerships with self-governance bodies and civil society organizations.

The objectives of this program were:

• Monitoring and surveillance of all drinking water sources by the community
• Decentralization of water quality monitoring and surveillance of all drinking water sources.
• Institutionalization of community participation and involvement of local self governance institutions for water quality monitoring and surveillance
• Generation of awaremess among the rural masses about the water quality issues and the problems related to water borne diseases.
• Building capacity of Panchayats to own the field test kits and take up full O&M responsibility for water quality monitoring of all drinking water sources in their respective areas

The report provides details of the following major milestones in the programme:

• Information, education and communication
• Mapping of drinking water sources
• Provision of field kits to each village
• Retrieval of results from village teams
• Monitoring by laboratories
• Analysis of results
• Sanitary surveys
• Water quality monitoring in schools
• Quest for safe water and corrective actions
• Initiatives for fluoride mitigation
• Revival of defluoridation plants
• Satellite based communication program
• Prompt response to flood mitigation
• Partnership with UNICEF
• Survey based on M-DAWS
• Telephonic monitoring and feedback