ENSURING DRINKING WATER IN RURAL AREAS THROUGH ACTIVE GRAM PANCHAYATS
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Abstract
Drinking water is essential for sustaining life. Ensuring easy access, adequate quantity and quality of drinking water in rural areas of India has been a challenge for governments for long. As drinking water is directly related to health and sanitation, overcoming this challenge becomes all the more important. Making available and managing clean water and sanitation is one of the global Sustainable Development Goals included in Agenda 2030. Government of India and State governments have been making efforts to achieve this goal through various schemes and programmes. However, local planning and action is more important in this regard. This analytical paper discusses the role of Gram Panchayats (GPs) in planning, implementing, monitoring, managing and social audit of drinking water schemes in rural areas. Several GPs in different States have thorough local initiatives have successfully demonstrated that ensuring safe and adequate drinking water to rural households is possible. If the Central and State governments strengthen GPs with adequate devolution of funds, functions and functionaries, necessary infrastructure and capacity building of elected representatives and functionaries, such success stories can be replicated everywhere.
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