WATER SUPPLY ORGANIZATION

The history of piped water systems in rural Kerala dates back to as early as 1930's. During the 70's more than 450 piped rural systems were launched. During the 80's as part of drinking Water supply and Sanitation decade programme, several projects were launched with the support of bilateral and multilateral agencies. In 1985, world bank approved the Kerala Water Supply and Sanitation project (Cr. 16622-IN) which was an integrated project aimed, along with other things, to strengthen Kerala Water Authority, to provide piped water supply systems in selected rural areas and introduce tow cost onsite sanitation pilot programmes in rural areas. Under DANIDA assistance, three schemes are taken up during up the period 1983 to 1998 covering three rural areas in Kerala. Netherlands provided assistance to set up 8 water supply schemes in Kerala. The schemes which started in 1982 are nearing completion.

The extension of piped water supply systems in rural areas led to the neglect of traditional water supply sources, which in turn affected the piped water supply systems itself. Drying up of the sources led to deterioration of the supply levels and irregular water supplies. The effectiveness of rural pipe schemes is in serious doubt. A major deficiency of the piped rural water supply systems is their inability to meet the full water requirement and total non availability of water in the elevated areas. The present project combines traditional as well as modem water technologies responding to the local circumstance.

The Kerala water authority, a statutory body constituted under Kerala Water Supply and Sewerage (KWSS) Act, 1986 has the responsibility for water supply in the state, both rural and urban. Its main functions include state level planing for water and sewage, development, financing, implementation and operation of all existing and new schemes. As of now, Kerala Water Authority operates 40 urban water supply and 1,415 rural water supply schemes in Kerala. Due to reasons, internal as well as external Kerala Water Authority lacks a commercial orientation in its operation and hence has not been able to improve the service quality.

The GOK in July 1996 launched peoples planning campaign as an instrument for decentralized planning in Kerala. In the context of people's planning and considering the fact that there is inadequate coverage of drinking water supply in the rural Kerala, the government decided to permit local bodies (Grama Panchayats) to take up drinking water supply schemes. The GOK issued guidelines on schemes that can be taken up by the local bodies directly and schemes which can be taken up on behalf of the local bodies by the KWA. Subsequently, in November 1998, the GOK issued further guidelines for transferring existing small schemes within the boundary of one panchayat, operated by the Kerala Water Authority in rural areas to the local bodies.