Jal Nirmal and beyond: supporting the community management of rural water supply in Belagavi district, Karnataka

This case study analyses the support given by the World Bank assisted Jal Nirmal project for community managed rural water supply in Belagavi district, Karnataka. The study was undertaken by selecting three villages considered as best practice examples from Jal Nirmal – Shiraguppi, Iddalahonda and Hirenandi – and one control village that was not part of the programme.

Jal Nirmal ran from 2002 to 2014 so the villages in this study are now supported under the Rural Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Government of Karnataka. The case study considers both the historical support provided under Jal Nirmal and the current support arrangements. It indicates that the Jal Nirmal programme provided an effective support environment for community management and that the state government has built on this legacy to develop a professionalised support system that balances technical support with the specialist 'softer' support focused on empowering communities.

In the three Jal Nirmal villages, the study found that water supply is effectively managed by communities through the Village Water and Sanitation Committees that are well-capacitated and resourced. Tariff payments are regular and above government norms meaning communities are able to cover most of the Operational Expenditure for rural water supply and deliver good quality services. In this regard, the case can be classified as a form of Community Management with Direct Support in which communities has successfully taken on the operation and maintenance of rural water supply.