Bringing Safe Drinking Water to India
In India, drinking water systems work only intermittently in the majority of the country. And even when they run, their products can contain concerning contaminants. Progress in providing a safe source to something so fundamental is stifled by a cumbersome management system, subject to state jurisdiction. About 80-90 percent of drinking water is supplied by state governments.
In this system, management is almost completely dominated by state-run organizations and statutory bodies. The bodies are owners and operators of the water supply schemes. Maharashtra is the only state which has given autonomy to local bodies to own and operate their local water supply systems. Throughout India, there can also be found large municipal corporations that own their water supply and sewerage systems.
At the central government level, there are three ministries responsible for drinking water management. The most important is CPHEEO, the Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organization. It forms the policies and guidelines transmitted to the states for program execution. It also controls funding disbursements, loans, and aid.
The majority of the funding for the schemes comes from the central government, and the state governments add money. Sometimes the local bodies have to pick up their share too. Assistance also comes from the national and international lenders.
After 75 years of India’s independence, the drinking water sector remains plagued by two problems.
First, come March to June, there is a scarcity of drinking water. This could be largely attributed to natural (geographically rain-deficient areas) and artificial (unequitable distribution of water) causes. And as mentioned outages occur all the time.
Second, and equally serious, is the unsatisfactory quality of drinking water at the consumer end. The continuous deterioration in water quality poses serious challenges. The mortality rate for children under five in India is very high, one of the reasons being the poor water quality. As far as health aspects of water are concerned, India stands lowly at 95 among 140 countries, almost at par with sub-Saharan nations.
The continuous neglect of this sector has many reasons. However, the main reason is the general apathy toward public health and lack of priority of our elected representatives. Since independence, in the parliament there have been fierce debates on the quality of colas but not a single debate on quality of drinking water.
The issue of unsatisfactory water quality can be tackled effectively by enacting laws and implementing regulations. The governments also need to invest in capital cost for building the infrastructure. However, they have failed to create an effective management structure for operation and maintenance. And the ownership structure of schemes and projects does not ensure accountability to consumers.
Is it time that India enact legislation like the U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act? Like the United States, India too has a three-tier water management structure, with the involvement of central and state governments and local bodies. However, the management structure has to be suitably mandated to ensure responsibility. The central government through CPHEEO should form the policies and guidelines on drinking water quality. The state governments and their agencies should be regulatory authorities. And finally it should be the responsibility of local bodies that they operate their systems effectively.
Success in delivering quality drinking water under a suitable regulatory structure ultimately depends on accountability. A satisfied consumer will not hesitate to pay a water tariff. Over a reasonable period of time, well-managed systems will become self sustaining.
Improved water quality will not only enhance the productivity of India as a nation but the quality of life for all Indians — the ultimate goal of our existence in a democratic world.
