#15. Innovation for Income generation
Amidst the rocky terrain and semi-fertile land presides a small rural community with 720 populaces housed in 144 houses neighboring 7 kms to Amritsar Pathankot Road named, Wadala of block Gharota in the district Pathankot. The unfeasibility to install the motorized submersibles basis the rocky terrain of the village augmented further problems for the neighborhood especially women. It was supplemented by the waiting hours for water supply, and unsatisfied water demand for the whole population due to limited water standposts in the village. The village was pro-active to approach the neighboring village – Mamiyal for shared supply but awareness of the rights and options remained untapped up until the intervention from the Gram Panchayat and state department.
The Gram panchayat of the village approached the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation, Punjab. Thereby, the technical and social team of the State Department visited the village, interacted with Gram Panchayat and the community. They assessed the requirements and did a need analysis of the village and explained in detail about the features of the water supply scheme and the prerequisites to be fulfilled by the Gram Panchayat. The prerequisites like, formation of Gram Panchayat Water Sanitation Committee (GPWSCs), collection of beneficiary share as per number of households, land donation for water works site by Gram Panchayat, roles and responsibilities of GPWSC members, and importance of water conservation.
Gram Panchayat collected an amount of Rs. 82000/- as beneficiary share for the scheme. The village was bifurcated from village Mamiyal, and a new single village scheme was proposed and implemented with a financial assistance of Rs. 40.79 lakh under World Bank Component. The implementation of the scheme started and it was completed by 2016.
A very innovative decision was taken by the Gram Panchayat Water and Sanitation Committee. GPWSC decided that every household shall pay 200 per hour for the special water supply when any kind of function (Marriage, Bhog ceremony etc.) takes place in their respective household. This gesture helped in generating revenue for the scheme. The consumers are supporting GPWSC by regular payment of bills. Resulting to which operational rights have been transferred to community and specially GPWSC members very early. By means of pro-active public participation and support of the community, GPWSC has a saving of Rs.1.50 Lac/- in the Operation & Maintenance account. The committee decided to buy Generator for the scheme.
Intended saving of Rs. 1.50 lac in their account towards buying of generator stemmed the generator in the Water Works.
The community responded well with the scheme, ecstatic with the scheme and cooperated with the decisions of the community.
Paani di Kahaani (ਪਾਣੀ ਦੀ ਕਹਾਣੀ) 