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Introduction - Vision - Strategy - Process

Gujarat 2010: Vision

Fundamental Rights - Health and Hygiene - Institutional Processes - Policy Change - Sanitation - Economics - Technology Development - Gender - Schools

Fundamental Rights

In the decade since India and the global community committed themselves to the achievement of VISION 21, communities and authorities in Gujarat have worked together to realise access to hygienic conditions, safe water and sanitation as fundamental rights for all. While these services today reach every citizen in the state, efforts continue to improve their quality and sustainability.

Health and Hygiene

There is decline in water borne diseases—thanks to the hygiene and sanitation efforts over a decade by households, communities and voluntary organisations with support of concerned authorities. Communities and NGOs have worked together with Government agencies on water quality monitoring and surveillance.

Child morbidity and mortality status has been improved and Gujarat now is ahead of other Indian states.

Fluorosis, which for many years was a major challenge in several districts of Gujarat, has been controlled by use of appropriate technologies and community water quality monitor-ing and surveillance facilitated by Government and voluntary sector, initiated through Gujarat Vision 21effort.

Institutional Processes

In most villages, women have a strong presence in local groups for natural resource management. These groups function as the first tier in a participatory structure that extends to taluka and district committees for natural resource management. Each of these committees is well informed and active on issues of water supply, sanitation, health and hygiene through support from NGOs.

Policy makers have been sensitized to creatively incorporate suggestions from these committees. The State water and sanitation plans have been made over the decade with the help of such participatory, bottom-up planning.

In this participatory structure, the local self-government structure of Panchayats (including their women members) at each administrative level has been an active participant in planning, implementation and monitoring. NGOs have played a major role in capacity building of Panchayats in Gujarat since the introduction of the 73rd and 74th Constitution Amendments in 1993.

Empowerment through this participatory structure has been reflected in district and state-level water, sanitation and health education plans, which are formulated and operated through village level groups.

The Gujarat Vision 21 effort led to a sustained mechanism for networking among stake-holders. This unity provided strength to organise opportunities for policy intervention with state, central and other donor agencies.

Media in Gujarat has been an active partner towards awareness generation and advocacy of policy change. It has also helped sustain pressure on all the stakeholders to perform their roles responsibly.

Policy Change

Government's role has increasingly facilitated and supported peoples own initiatives. Services are largely provided by trained para-professionals at community level.

The new policy is more comprehensive and holistic in nature and thereby establishes better convergence of sectoral activities and elicits better inter-departmental coordination within Government at all levels.

A people-centred policy framework towards decentralised control as well as responsibili-ties, has given the opportunity of employment creation leading to greater self-sufficiency and sustainability of the programme.

The new policy provides for improved enforceable measures to control contamination of drinking water sources.

Sanitation

Ninety percent of rural households and hundred percent of urban households are using individual toilets of appropriate, location-specific designs.

Wastewater, grey water and biodegradables are recycled using user-friendly and cost-effective technologies. Stormwater in both rural and urban areas gets recharged into underground aquifers. This has helped small and marginal farmers and urban agricultur-ists.

Urban sanitation exemplifies the positive attitudinal change of the authorities towards slums. The authorities provide safe sanitation through accessible household and commu-nity models, as well as protection of slum dwellers’ rights. The corporate sector is a principal partner in urban slum sanitation programmes, reflecting a strong social commitment.

The inhuman practice of manual handling of human excreta has been completely elimi-nated. The communities involved in this practice in the past are now well into alternative occupations and their children are supported by special educational and occupational opportunities.

Economics

Economics of water supply has improved through community participation in rural and urban areas. Operation and maintenance costs as well as responsibility for drinking water services actively involve client communities.

A cost-sharing structure has emerged in which household contributions towards both capital and service costs, routed through communities, make the system more sustain-able. Community groups monitor service charges as well as maintenance responsibili-ties.

In urban areas, water charges are now at a progressive rate. They reflect growing ability to pay and consumption levels. Cross subsidies are at work to protect poorer groups.

A regulatory framework has been developed to encourage and control private operators for water and sanitation services.

A positive and synergistic partnership between communities, government, private sector and NGOs has been established.

Technology Development

A broad consensus has been evolved towards use of area and problem-specific appro-priate technologies.

Technological choices are such that they are cost effective so that limited resources are stretched.

Simple and down-to-earth technologies enable local communities to manage the upkeep and maintenance on their own.

Technologies selected are also eco-centric in nature and thus do not create problems for the ecology.

Government and the corporate sector lay adequate emphasis and allocate enough financial resources for research and development. This helps in evolving new technologi-cal options and for innovations in old ones.

Gender

With active participation and facilitation of women's groups, village-working funds have been generated, benefiting economic empowerment of women and providing impetus to higher sanitation coverage.

In most villages, women have a strong presence in the decision-making process for natural resource management. Household responsibilities for drinking water and sanitation are now better shared between men and women. The daily burden of fetching water from distant places has been dramatically reduced by improved community water management services.

Schools

With active support of Government, every school in Gujarat has at least two toilet blocks one each for boys and girls. The enrollment of girls has increased dramatically as a result and dropouts greatly reduced because of this facility.

All schools are working as active centres for information dissemination towards the benefits accruable through better health and hygiene practices.

Teachers are trained in hygiene education and this is actively demonstrated in and outside classrooms, leading to higher usage of existing facilities and increased coverage.

The Strategy