Innovations, Reforms & Convergence in the Sanitation Sector Jharkhand (India)

Ram Bilash Sinha ,Superintending Engineer

Jharkhand State Water and Sanitation Mission

email IDs: swsm.jharkhand@gmail.com

2/10/2014 1

Mission, Objective and Strategic Approach: Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan in Jharkhand (2011-2014)

• Mission 2017: 12th Five Year Plan Period

– 45% coverage through Rural Pipe Water Supply

– 80% Coverage through Sustainable Sanitation facilities

• Strategy 1. Devolution of Power to Panchayet

2. Institutional Reform and Restructuring

3. Stakeholder Engagement & Capacity Building

4. Technical Backstopping

5. Process Innovations Encouraging last person participation

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• The new state of Jharkhand has ranks 28th in NBA, Flagship Program of GoI on Sanitation.

• The state is marked by – Undulating topography

– Abundance of Forest

– Lack of Communication Infrastructure

– Lack of Perennial Water Source

– Low Population Density

– Poverty, Malnutrition and social unrest

• Initiatives of JSWSM - Investments in Sanitation and Hygiene aimed to improve Health

& Nutrition indicator

– Institutional Reforms and devolution of power to Panchayats

– Innovations in Implementation strategy

– Accelerating NBA implementation through Convergence in Policy, Strategy and Operations

The State of Jharkhand: Context, Features

Knowledge Sharing Forum What works at scale? Distilling critical success factors for scaling-up rural sanitation 2/10/2014 3

The Case of Jharkhand: Programmatic Challenges in NBA

Slip Back Sustainability

Quality of Construction

Appropriate Communication

Supply Chain Mechanism

Content of Communication

Vehicle of Communication

Institutional Mechanism

Monitoring

Re-think & develop an Alternative

Strategy

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Innovations in Strategy - 1

• Institutional Reforms – Empowered Panchayats

• VWSCs formed at the Revenue Village are implementing agencies

• VWSCs have 12 members (50% women) with Mukhiya as President and Jal

Sahiya as Treasurer

• VWSCs have bank accounts where programme funds are directly transferred

• Decision making at the VWSC level (by GO) is taken in an inclusive manner

• Funds is withdrawn by joint signature of Mukhiya and Jal Sahiya (no

government representative involved)

• BRCs at Block level – operated by NGOs assigned at the district level

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Innovations in Strategy - 2

• Saturation approach in toilet coverage

• Community Mobilisation: 100% community consensus to achieve ODF

• Exposure visits of PRI/ VWSC members in areas of significant community

mobilisation

• Monetary incentive is not highlighted as the guiding factor; community

contributions encouraged

• IEC activities are planned in the Revenue village and entirely executed in the

villages (regular interactive sessions)

• Subsidy not given upfront; loan accessed from provisions of Revolving Funds

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Reforms

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Institutional Reform and Revised Accountability Framework : Fund, Function and Functionary • Fund

– Administrative Sanction of Schemes • VWSC/GP up to Rs. 10 Lakhs, • PS (Block Panchayet) upto Rs. 25 Lakhs • Zillah Parishad( District Panchayet) up to Rs. 50 lakhs

– Scheme Planning and Implementation • Village Level By Gram Panchayat • Panchayet Level by Pancahayat Samitee • District level By Zila Parishad

• Function

– Direct transfer of fund to Gram Panchayats up to Rs 25 Lakh – No Government Functionaries in fund withdrawal and utilization

• Functionary (Administrative Control )

• Executive Engineer delegated to Zilla Parishad • Assistant /Junior Engineer delegated to Panchayat Samitee • Mechanic and Operators delegated to Gram Panchayet

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Devolution of Power to Panchayets: PESA

• Jharkhand is covered under Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996

• Implications – Gram Sabha to make Decision

– Traditional Village Head to lead Gram Sabha

– Decision on Land, Minor Water Bodies & Mines rests with Gram Sabha

• Practical Challenge – Decision making in multi village Panchayet becomes difficult

– Rural Water and Sanitation Program gets affected due to dispute

– Traditional (nominated )Head of community vs Elected Head

• Our Stand & Strategic Decision (In PESA area) – Gram Sabha Meeting to be chaired by Traditional Village Head

– VWSC is headed by Traditional (Nominated) Head of community

– VWSC works as Executive Body (Cabinet) of the Gram Sabha (Government)

– VWSC to meet their Office Expenses From 1% of fund being handled by them

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Stakeholder Engagement & Capacity Building : Placement of Responsible and Skilled Human Resource

SN Initiative Present Status (No)

Objective

1 Promoting Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC) with Accountability

27597 Ensure Community Participation

2 Engaging CSOs as Block Resource Centers (BRC) for facilitation

16 (680) For all flagship scheme this should be model

3 Professionally Managed District Project Management Unit (DPMU)

24 (70) Responsive & Sensitive Handholding

4 Engagement of Additional Experts at State Project Management Unit (SPMU)

12 To cover the missing dimensions in Program

5 Capacity Building through International and National Agencies

10 Bridging Experience and Expertise Gap

1. Selection of Agencies in place of Individual in BRC ensure uninterrupted function 2. Concurrent Evaluation By Professional Agencies like IIM & NIFM 3. Regular Audit of all agencies through Chartered Accounting Firms

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Strategy

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Implementation Steps

Revenue Village as Unit

• 100% community consensus

• VWSC prepares budget for achieving ODF (average toilet cost x number of families)

• Prepare proposal demanding for a loan of 50% of the budget

• Proposal has commitment on community contribution for balance 50% of budget

• Proposal submitted to DWSC

• DWSC advances loan (50% of budget) from provisions of Revolving Funds

Implementation Steps

Revenue Village as Unit

• Construction of toilets for every family; community contributes in cash, kind and labour); minimum standards maintained

• ODF declared after every family has a toilet and starts using the facility

• At this stage total subsidy accruing to the VWSC estimated and adjusted with loan amount

• In case of loan amount is more than total subsidy amount, the VWSC will have to payback the balance amount in 18 monthly installments

Implementation Steps

Intermediate steps

• Awareness generation activities continued

• Baseline survey conducted to find out families eligible for subsidy

• Masons trained and in the process a model toilet is demonstrated

• Follow up with release of MNREGA funds during construction phase (a challenge !!!)

Implementation Steps

Post Construction Phase

• Reinforced community interactions to ensure use of facilities (for at least 2 more years !!!)

• Address any post construction services if needed

• Mini piped water supply schemes in the Revenue village (once again saturation approach, i.e., every household have a tap connection)

Learning from Evidences:

- Standardised model and cost of toilet

- Accessing Revolving fund

- Planning and rolling out of Open Defecation Elimination Plan

- Roles and responsibilities of BRCs vis-à-vis Panchayats

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Convergence

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Convergence & Partnerships

• MNREGA: Labour cost & as per new circular capital costs of toilets will be taken from MNREGA (up to Rs. 10,000)

• Fund have been released for 15000 Toilets; Construction of 8000 Toilets (Approx)completed

• Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (NRLM); collaboration with SHGs for sanitation and water supply; also convergence of CIF (Community Investment Funds of NRLM), NBA and NRDWP funds

• CSR Partnerships: In mason training, sanitation coverage

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Some other Initiatives

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Technical Backstopping: Matching E-Governance and IT initiative to address Sanitation issues by expert HR

• Development of Dedicated Website – daa.Jharkhand.gov.in

• Establishment of call center: – Direct interaction with PRI representatives – SMS and Web Based Grievance Registration : Addressed 1000

grievance with 80% of issues solved on time

• Fund transfer through Core banking Solution activated • Real Time Monitoring System (RTMS):

– 212 GPS (Motorola MC 65) aided with micro-computing facilities – Dedicated scheme devised for Baseline Generation – Facility of participatory monitoring and verification

• Dedicated Geographic Information System State Cell: – Cartographic and Spatial Database Unit in place – Decentralized Architecture for MIS & GIS being developed

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Active encouragement to Socio- Technical innovation in Sanitation

• Aerobic Bio-Toilet piloted in collaboration with Stone Biotech – Deoghar Shravani mela

– Scaling up proposed in Community Toilets

• Anaerobic Bio toilet to be piloted – In collaboration with BSA Bio Toilet – 4 District Level community toilets on pilot basis

– Facilitation from UNICEF

• Pay and Use Toilets initiated in many locations – Adopted from Sulabh for Rural Habitations

• CSR being involved through dedicated Projects & Programs – Hindustn Copper Limited at East Singhbhum

– Ultratech Cement at Koderma

– TATA Power at East Singhbhum

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Quality Control : Reiterating Pre-requisites and Non Negotiables

• Strong facilitation in the entire process – Responsibility of DPMU & BRCs – Funds allocated (Present Remuneration below Market Rate and Minimum Wage

Rate; Revision requested)

• Continued Facilitation – At least 2 years – Need funding provisions ( To Appoint quality Facilitating Agencies)

• Support Funding – MNREGA funds

• Eases the process in case of high degree of slip back

– CSR Funding may address the Same

• Geographic Continuity Essential – To be implemented state wide – In a standardized manner

• Active encouragement to Socio- technical innovation

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Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan: Some Futuristic initiatives and Way Forward in Jharkhand

• Pre Fabricated Toilets – Important in physically difficult areas

– May address Supply chains issues but costly

– VAT Removal may substantially reduce the cost

• Reinforcements through Policy Decision

– Candidates without IHHL shall not be allowed to contest PRI Election

• Convergence with NRLM (Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society)

– Water and Sanitation reinforces livelihood security

– Concept of “loan” for public health security inspired by SHG models

• Convergence between CIF (NRLM) funds and NBA funds

– To achieve ODF and also mini PWSS

• Strengthen convergence with MNREGA – Demand for “work” and “toilet” synchronized in a single Gram Sabha

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Email ID: swsm.jharkhand@gmail.com

Phone No: 0651- 2481593

For further information please contact Mission Website:

daa.jharkhand. Gov.in

THANKS 2/10/2014 28