Users becoming managers of water supply in Kutch district, Gujarat

Community Water Plus, a research project, has investigated twenty case studies of successful community managed rural water supply programmes across 17 states in India. Through these case studies, the research has gained insight into the type and amount of support to community organisations that is needed, and the resources implications of this 'plus' – in terms of money, staffing, and other factors. This is a case study on the Water and Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO), the entity dedicated to rural water supply in Gujarat, illustrated by its experiences in Kutch district.

Kutch is a semi-arid district in Gujarat, known for its water scarcity, erratic and variable rainfall. These conditions made it imperative to adopt a decentralised, community-owned and demand-driven approach for the sustainability of the water and sanitation systems. WASMO is a special purpose vehicle established to develop community-managed rural drinking water supply throughout the State of Gujarat. It takes up the responsibility of empowering communities to manage local water sources and village drinking water supply services by adopting the role and strategy of a facilitator rather than a provider, which is in line with State Government's principle of subsidiarity and decentralised governance. It creates Pani Samitis (formal Water Committees), supports in creating and implementing village action plans and trains the Pani Samitis in taking charge of water service delivery and its operation and maintenance (O&M). This case investigates the extent and type of support provided by WASMO.