Community Integration for MultiVillage Water Supply Scheme in Sri-Lanka A Case Study

P.K.W.de. Silva

Abstract

Rural water supply system that cover more than one village are becoming increasingly common in Sri-Lanka .The desire to provide pipe borne water supply to rural areas, despite local water supply scarcity and increasingly contaminated sources, is leading planners to examine ever more distant water sources. However, treating and piping water from these remote sources is often complex and expensive, and planners have realized that cost be reduced, and options broadened, if villages band together and share water supply system.As realized that World Bank Assisted 02ndCommunity Water Supply and Sanitation Project (CWSSP) was encouraged to establishMultiVillage Water Supply Schemes (MVWSS) for the selectedrural communities in 03 provinces of Sri-Lanka. Communities and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) are the nucleus of this implementation process and the application of the system was assured through the establishment of Integrated Community Based Organization (ICBO).

Introduction

Government of Sri-Lanka has acknowledge the importance of health and well being of its people for social and economic development and has set a goal of providing access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation to all citizen by the year 2025. To achieve this targets in a sustainable manner, the GOSL has embarked on a significant Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (RWSS) sector reform program and invited all the government and non government organization as placing high sense of beneficiary involvement in decision making at all stage of sub project implementation. Creation of a MVWSS along with the provisions of drinking water supply and better sanitation is one strategy to improve the living standard of rural communities, which are out of the mainstream of development. Deviating from the conventional practice of single village based water supply program, the CWSSP has given the right direction to establish integrated village schemes for rural community who have desired to provide maximum participation for the project planning, construction and management.This new approach has been formulated and adopted by the RWSS division in Central and North Western Provinces of Sri Lanka and 16MVWSSshas been establishedat present in the Central province of Sri-Lanka. Adikarigama integrated village water supply program is the idol MVWSScreated by the project and the community and it’s a valid example to demonstrate the success of active community involvement in all the phases of scheme planning, implementation and management. This paper intends to highlight the strategies that are being adopted for the implementation of multi rural water supply systems with the total participation of beneficiaries for the sustainable management of the system and their livelihood development

The specific policy objectives of MVWS

  • To provide adequate, affordable, and sustainable water supply services to the rural population
  • To promote participation of government, non-government and private sector towards to implement multi village development as deviating from single village program.
  • community paying for part of the capital cost and full cost recovery for operation and maintenance of service as opposed to the previous concept of cost sharing
  • To depart from the traditional supply-driven to demand-responsive approach in service provision
  • To manage water supplies at the lowest appropriate level as opposed to the centralized command control approach.
  • To improve health through integration of water supply, sanitation and hygiene education.

Community integration fora MVWSS-AdikarigamaVillage

Adikarigama integrated water supply scheme is the largest multi village rural water supply scheme implemented by the 02nd CWSSP in the CentralProvince. Scheme covered 09 villages in the area which drinking water is scarce and the majority of communities face severe hardship. Few common well which has constructed in lower terrain in the villages were the only water sources benefited by community and in the drought seasons peoples have used to walk long distance for fetching of their daily requirement. As considering on prevailing with this severe hardship of drinking water, the CWSSP has step in to these villages for project implementation.

Project planning has commenced on schedule through the initiation of comprehensive community mobilization process by the selected partner organization and submission of water supply proposal for each village has been failed due to scarcity of potential water source in the area. Even though, village based community requests have failed, all the village community leaders collectively found that integrated village water supply scheme is the most suitable option and distant water source was selected for project planning. Community Based Organizations (CBOs) which were formed at village based in the initial phase have been amalgamated as a community organization and it was called as Integrated Community Based Organization (ICBO) and empowered them to take up all the responsibility of project planning, implementation and management. With the intensive and comprehensive community mobilization process, project has commenced as scheduled and it was completed through the active participation of all stakeholders in the project. Consequently, ICBO has empowered to build 80.7 million (1 US $ = Sri-Lankan Rs.110.00) worth of water supply scheme as right to use pure drinking water supply facilities for 2148 householders (HHs) in 09 villages.

Formation of ICBO for MVWSS implementation

15

Achievementsthrough MVWSS implementation

  • 100% coverage in water supply .Total village population of 2148 householders (HHs) has right to use pure drinking water supply facilities without any major disturbance.
  • Sustainable management system is being existed in operation and maintenance of water supply and sanitation program.The ICBO has taken sole authority of operational and management of scheme and Local Authority (PS) andRWSS unite are jointly monitored the program.
  • ICBO established for the planning and implementation of water supply and sanitation program has become as a strong and important institution among the community in 09 villages.
  • ICBO has capable to managed Rs.80.7 million worth of total construction work with out any major indiscipline.
  • ICBO has managed to completed the total MVWSS , which is consisting of 48 km distribution network, 1.6km length transmission net work ,02 pump houses ,01 intake with 125 m length canal, 14 Ferro cement water tanks (80m3X2, 60m3 X 4 ,50m3 X 4,40m3X 1 and 28m3X 2 )for water storage and water filtration, and 2.2km length new roads for access to sites.
  • ICBO has strengthened to undertake the total construction work through the formal agreement of cost sharing application of the project. The agreement was that exceeding amount of project ceiling has to be borne by the community.(Project ceiling for per family is Rs.19,400.00 .
  • The beneficiary contribution towards the capital cost is substantial and the total community contributions have been exceeded Rs.36 million.
  • Receiving of seed fund for the construction of 50% of sanitation requirement (176xRs.5000) in 09 villages, ICBO has capable to completed total requirement of 352 sanitary latrines through the efficient way of managing of Sanitation Revolving Fund (SRF) programme. Total village area has free from open-air defecation and clean environment

Community involvement towards cost sharing of MVWS

Communities have shown their willingness to contribute substantially to water and sanitation development .Majority of communities who are willing to pay even more than 20% of the capital cost involved ,expecting a higher level of service. A classic example of this is the average beneficiary contribution towards the capital cost of construction of MVWSS, amounting to 45% exceeding the original expectation of 20%.The beneficiary contribution towards the capital cost is substantial and the total community contributions have been exceeded Rs.36 mil which includes Rs.12.5mil unskilled labour, Rs.9.6.6mil cash and 0.8mil.for other sits arrangements. In addition, the ICBO has also constructed 02 roads to the storage tanks located in the high terrain and intake located in the upper stream of the Belihul-oyaRiver. The estimated value of these constructions is approximately Rs.2 million

No. / Cost Sharing of MVS / Estimated Amount (Rs.Million) / Actual Amount (Rs.Million)
01 / Total Project Cost / 73.0 / 80.7
02 / Project Contribution Per family contribution X No. of family (19400X2150) / 41.7 56.9% / 44.7 55.2%
03 / Community Contribution
Unskilled labour contribution
Cash contribution / 20.4 35.7%
10.5
9.6 / 21.4 26.4%
12.5
8.9
04 / Agreed other contributions from PS/LG
Supply of Electricity and Transformer
Payment of RDA/PRDA / 10.4 7.0%
5.6
4.8 / 13.8 17.3%
13.8
Free of charge
05 / Extra works done by the community
Preparational works of project sitss / 0.5 1.4% / 0.8 1.0%

. LESSONS LEARNED AND RECOMMENDATION FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

Community participation is a new approach adopted to address many fundamental challenges prevailing in implementation of multi village water supply schemes in Sri-Lanka. Lack of funds to improve the WS systems, high percentage of non-revenue water, water rights and competition in water use, consumer unawareness towards the safety of WS schemes and exclusion of low income group from the water scheme are the challenges highlighted in the planning of rural village water supply schemes.Hence, user participation in system development, sharing of responsibility in management, capacity building of involved parties, transfer of technology to the lowest possible level and efficient and effective management would be the major areas concerned for the implementation of multi village water supply scheme in rural villages.

While recommending on community based implementation mechanism for MVWSS ,the following specific suggestions and recommendation are being made to make it further workable and sustainable system for future planning..

  • Taking a weighted average cost of implemented village schemes, the capital cost per household of MVWSs are found to be higher than that of the single village schemes while O&M cost is also relatively high. Hence, cost sharing model to be reviewed and per family project contribution to be increased at substantial extent.
  • The formation of user groups such as ICBOs is critical for improving accountability of such scheme. However some MVWSSs are often too large and costly to be managed solely by user groups. Hence, Being a recognized and accepted institution in water sector, the continuous representation of National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) and Local Government for the Ex-co board of ICBOs has to be formalized and the technical and financial competency of ICBO to be strengthened.
  • Provide for impartial authority, such as the chief secretary of the Provincial Council to be the arbitrator in case a dispute arises between or among the parties who have involved with water sector.
  • ICBO represents the user community and that would be a greater advantage of ensuring their requirements are met in more productive manner. This will also help to meet the aspiration of ICBO members effectively compared to other management models.
  • On the strength of the experience gained through the scheme implementation and management of MVWSSs, the major parties who have involved with rural water supply have built the confidence that ICBO management model could be applied in a widest scale with assurance of success.
  • ICBO represents the user community and there would be greater advantage and ensure the sustainability through strengthening of common fund for future investment of water scheme and its social promotional activities.
  • The position of ICBOs in financial stability, technical efficiency, legal entity and institutional establishment are comparatively weak at the beginning and it was improved at great extent while delivering of efficient services to beneficiaries through the excellent assistance obtained from the major institutions in the sector.

Conclusion

The MVWSs recognition is being well assured through the introduction of this implementation model and sustainability of the water scheme has guaranteed with the strengthening of sector participation at all levels. As a result of that, ICBO management model is being popularized and activated as one of the best model in planning, implementation and consolidation of rural water supply schemes in Sri-Lanka.

It is evident that where the water supply and sanitation programs are being efficiently implemented and CBO has shown their enthusiasm on other development activities, with a little initiative by an outsider and proper guidance, the concept of model village can be easily implemented. However, it is important that, even in these CBOs, appropriate environment has to be created along with the assistance and guidance for certain period of time for them to embrace the concept fully.

References

Quarterly progress report in 2009/III, 2010/I02nd World Bank Assisted Community Water Supply and Sanitation Project

Field visit of World Bank Mission -2009/10

P.K.W.de.Silva

Community Development Consultant,

Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Project,

CentralProvince,

Kandy, Sri Lanka

Tel: 081-2213162

Fax: 081-2213161

Email: