Questions
Rooftop rainwater harvesting for rural schools in Karnataka - Need experiences of participatory processes undertaken by state governments
From S. Vishwanath, Arghyam and Rainwater Club, Bangalore
Posted 4 April 2008
- Lack of a genuine need-based approach in selection of schools, the final list seems to have covered almost half of the rural schools
- Does not seem to have been any consultation with the Gram Panchayat or the School Development Management Committee (SDMC) about the programme, and therefore, there is no buy-in
- Technical design is ‘one size fits all’ and has not taken into consideration factors such as the appropriateness of an over ground tank, space, ground water recharge, etc
- No protocol has been developed for maintenance, water quality testing and treatment
- Seems to have been an underinvestment in genuinely deserving cases because the resources have been spread too thin, and investments have been made in schools that already had a reliable source of water
- It has turned out into a rainwater tank construction programme rather than a programme to provide drinking water to school children
Given the advanced status of the Programme, the challenge is tailoring these structures to at least partly meet desired goals; we request members share their experiences and insights on the following:
- Provide examples of when state governments have evolved a truly participatory process of delivering services (such as rainwater harvesting in schools)
- Discuss how NGOs could help the Suvarnajala programme meet the overall goal of better water and sanitation access in schools, as well the possibility of programme providing supplemental water for both drinking and sanitation in schools
The inputs will be compiled into a set of recommendations for the state government. We will arrange a consultation with officials to present the findings and discuss how they can be incorporated into the programme. The publication and the government’s feedback will be shared with the members of the Water Community.