Punjab State Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Policy 2014

GOVERNMENT OF PUNJAB DEPARTMENT OF WATER SUPPLY & SANITATION - (B&R I! BRANCH) PUNJAB STATE RURAL WATER SUPPLY AND SANITATION POLICY 2014 NOTIFICATION No. 13/168/2013-3B&R2/ Dated: AA The Governor of Punjab is pleased to lay down the Punjab State “|! Water Supply and Sanitation Policy 2014, as following: We Cove 1. NEED FOR A STATE WATER POLICY Y- yy The Department of Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS) has been implementing and managing rural drinking water supply schemes in the state. As on 31% December 2012 there are 8319 single village and multi village water supply schemes in the state, which are either tube-well based (80%) or canal based (20%). These schemes are estimated to be servicing about 27.80 lakh households in 11934 villages out of a total of about 30 lakh rural households in Punjab, through 11.26 lakh private connections and around 10,000 public stand posts. As of now access to ‘safe and adequate’ rural water supply is estimated to be available in 82.62% percent of habitations. Although 2011 Census data shows a significant change in decreasing open defecation percentage in Punjab, and sanitation coverage of 70.6%, there are no sanitation facilities for around 30% of rural households in Punjab. Of those who have access to a sanitary facility, about 94% have a toilet within their house, 4% households share a toilet with other households while about 2% households use a public toilet. Those who do not have access to a toilet practice open defecation which not only results in degraded sanitation situation but also contaminates shallow groundwater. Water security is essential for health, sanitation and hygiene besides food security, the environment, livelihoods, economic development and the overall well-being of society. Water-is a finite resource and managing available supplies to provide an adequate supply of potable water for current and future populations is a multi-faceted challenge. Rural drinking water services have to be managed judiciously in the face of rapid socio- economic change as well as industrial and agricultural development, which have affected the quality and quantity of water available for domestic uses. Over the years, . the state is facing rising water quality problems, particularly in the case of individually- drilled shallow hand pumps in many districts, and a declining availability of drinking water supplies due to increasing ground water exploitation by agriculture. The state also faces several governance challenges. Prior to 2007, the DWSS performed all functions and roles ranging from planning and investment decisions, regulation, implementation, and operation of water supply schemes for delivery of RWS services. This made effective monitoring and regulation in provision and operations difficult. In addition, financing RWSS from different program sources made it difficult to pursue consistent policy and rules. In 2002-3, a decision was taken to transfer all single village water supply schemes to Gram Panchayats (GPs) but the process of transfer remained slow. Also, DWSS did not hire adequate staff with ‘softer’ skills to work with GPs and, given the ban on recruitment, DWSS resorted to contracting operations of new schemes through simple labor contracts. However, monitoring systems were weak and not linked to any incentives for performance improvement, as a result of which, efficiency of RWSS remained unchecked. The level of cost recovery from the schemes run by DWSS is low at around 30% largely because the household connections are only between 30-40%. This happened because of lack of a demand-driven approach and ‘ownership’ by user community which could reduce wastage, improve service quality and enhance financial sustainability. Appropriate technical assistance to GPs for better operation and maintenance is also missing. Realizing the need for institutional and investment reforms in the rural water supply and sanitation sector, Government of Punjab has reworked its rural water supply and sanitation policy to address these issues, which affect quality of service and its sustainability. The State Water and Sanitation Policy is a statement of-intent of the Government of Punjab that recognizes current inadequacies and gaps, and aims for the sustainable development and management of available water resources to meet current and future needs for domestic uses, sanitation and hygiene. 2. OBJECTIVES In brief, the Government of Punjab aims to provide good quality potable water supply through piped distribution systems to all households at an affordable-price. In more detail, the aims are as follows: e Water coverage: To provide 100% coverage of all households in rural areas of Punjab with at least 70 litres per capita per day (lpcd) of potable water, supplied through 24x7 piped and metered individual water supply connections. e Sanitation coverage: To ensure that 100% of rural households have access to and use safe sanitation facilities that do not contaminate the environment, particularly ground water. e Hygiene: To ensure that 100% of rural households practice safe personal hygiene practices, especially hand washing at critical times, to minimize risks of water-related diseases. e Sustainable water supply: To ensure the availability, quality and sustainability of domestic water supplies by (1) conserving existing water sources (2) improving the efficiency of existing schemes (including reduction of losses) and their financial viability; (3) using all possible options of water treatment as per requirement; and (3) developing new and sustainable water sources e Water regulation: To regulate the use of water, using institutional and legal means, so as to provide adequate water to all users, to ensure the safety and security of water services systems and to facilitate long-term financial self-sustainability amongst water service operators. e Environmental sustainability: To improve the quality of life and environment through the effective and efficient management of water services. e User participation: To ensure effective participation of users in developing, operating and maintaining water supply services and to empower them to manage their own water supply and environmental sanitation services. , e Institutional capacity: To improve institutional capacity and human resources of government departments to provide efficient, effective and sustainable water and sanitation services, by working with empowered and capacitated local communities. 3. APPROACH The Approach to achieve the objectives of the State Water Policy shall promote consistent sector policies and programmes aimed at the following: e Demand-responsive and decentralized service delivery with full community involvement e Metered household connections providing 24x7 water supply e Sustainability of sources and systems e Integrated approach towards improving water supply, sanitation and hygiene behaviour ° e Eliminating water-quality problems in ali affected villages e Environmental! sanitation, including safe household sanitation systems, waste water and solid waste management e Effective grievance redressal and public information services e Promoting public-private partnerships, wherever relevant and appropriate e Convergence with relevant departments 3a. DEMAND RESPONSIVE APPROACH The State is committed to decentralized management of rural water supply and sanitation schemes, in accordance with the 73rd Constitutional amendment, by strengthening GPs to manage schemes and provide improved services, with the DWSS being a partner and facilitator. It is also committed to continue the sector wide approach (SWAp), adopted in development, execution and management of rural water supply and sanitation schemes, through various decentralized management structures including GPs/Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs). The DWSS shall, therefore, undertake the following: e Hand over all single village schemes and intra-village works of multi-village schemes to GPs/VWSCs in a time-bound manner. e Implement new schemes, as per SWAp principles, in all villages that demand such services by passing a Resolution in the Gram Sabha agreeing to the conditions of self-management, including beneficiary contribution towards capital cost and taking over management of created assets on a sustainable basis. e Transfer funds to implement new single-village schemes and all intra-village works of multi-village schemes to GPs//WSCs, who will take responsibility for planning, technology selection (type of scheme), procurement (bid invitation, award) and construction activities. e Continue e-procurement of all works under national competitive bidding e Provide technical support and undertake major repairs for all schemes operated & maintained by GPs/VWSCs. e Provide special concessions to all habitations predominantly inhabited by under privileged or disadvantageous groups, persons belonging to scheduled castes and persons residing in economically-backward and other special areas (e.g., villages along the international border, Kandi Area, Bet Area and water-logged areas etc.) e Continue to be responsible for construction of common infrastructure, such as water works, laying of distribution of pipelines up to entry point of each village in multi-village schemes, and highly technical works, such as sanitation facilities and Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants, etc. 3b. WATER SUPPLY - The State is committed to providing 100% individual metered household private connections in all rural areas of Punjab. Accordingly the DWSS shall pursue the following initiatives: > Household connections . » Convert all existing unmetered water connections to metered ones within the next 5 years * Ensure that all household connections from new water supply schemes are given metered connections » Phase out public taps by ensuring 100% rural households have individual water connections : » Assist GPs//VWSCs, on demand, to procure and supply good-quality meters to ensure cost-effectiveness and quality control.(A similar arrangement shall also be provided for meter repairs, replacement of old meters and re- calibration of meters.) » Provide a standard design of household connections to GPs/VWSCs and a list of trained and empanelled local plumbers to ensure the use of good quality materials for household water connections and proper connection of water meters . « Provide free private water connections inside the outer boundary of individual houses in a phased manner, as per priority given below: ¥ Priority 1: Villages with more than 70% households with private water connections - ¥ Priority 2: Villages with 50-70% households with. private water connections ¥ Priority 3: Villages with less than 50% households with private water connections « Prioritize provision of free private water connections for scheduled caste and scheduled tribe households in all villages > Household water tariffs — e Provide support to GPs/VWSCs, on demand, to determine and subsequently revise consumption-based tariffs that incentivize the conservation of water and minimize wastage. e Set up a State-Level Empowered Committee under the Chairmanship of the Administrative Secretary (DWSS), with representatives from all service providing agencies, to oversee the implementation of the metering policy and to suggest changes os > Incentives for cost recovery « Provide incentives including additional funds for maintenance to GPs/VWSCs for achievements in metering and cost recovery > 24x7 water supply » Develop suitable technical guidelines to convert existing schemes or developing new schemes for 24x7 water supply « Provide technical support and encourage all GPs/VWSCs to move towards metered 24x7 water supply systems in the near future « Prioritize delivery of free water meters to all villages with 100% private individual household water connections demanding 24x7 water supply « Give villages with 24x7 water supply priority for government programmes to make them open defecation free and to provide new sewerage systems. 4. SOURCE AND SYSTEM SUSTAINABILITY Source sustainability and system sustainability ensure the maintenance of an acceptable standard of service throughout the life time of the water supply system. 4.a System sustainability ‘ * The sustainability. of the water supply system is affected by technical factors (e.g., design and construction), institutional factors (e.g., preventive maintenance and cleanliness of the source) and social factors (e.g., willingness of users to provide the necessary time, labour and money to keep the system functional). The primary responsibility for maintaining the sustainability of the system shall be with the GP/VWSC, supported by the DWSS. The DWSS shall therefore provide the following: e Provide regular and refresher training to members of GPs//WSCs and Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and community women and men in all relevant technical issues, such as preventive maintenance, leak detection, minor repairs and water conservation. e Carry out practical training sessions on various issues such as preventive maintenance, on site and in villages, as far as practicable. 4.b Support GPs/VWSCs to inventories tools and spare parts and be aware of relevant quality and supply details (e.g., IS! standard material, local authorized dealers, etc.) Source sustainability The DWSS will promote source sustainability through the following activities: Promotion of the conjunctive use of groundwater and surface water to provide multiple sources of water supply to the village, and thus promote water security (as per the NRDWP). Such measures shall include roof top rain water harvesting, storm water harvesting, recycling and reuse of waste water. Investigating the economic and technical potential for the re-use of treated wastewater Evaluation of the potential for groundwater recharging with particular emphasis on water-critical and over-exploited areas. Introduction of aquifer-wise planning based on modern technologies and setting up of community organizations at village and aquifer-level to plan and manage ground water resources with a focus on drinking water supply. Working with other agencies to promote water supply augmentation. and demand management through activities, such as « Efficient crop-water application and utilization practices by adopting modern water conservation techniques " Improved surface and groundwater management by encouraging and facilitating better irrigation methods and » Enhanced and informed public participation to manage groundwater exploitation for agriculture and purposes other than drinking, so as not to exceed the average !ong term recharge potential. 5. CLIMATE CHANGE Given the potential impact of climate change on water supply sources in the State, the DWSS shall commission studies and formulate an appropriate Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for Water Supply and Sanitation either as a standalone strategy or as a part of a larger Climate Change Adaptation Strategy for the state as a whole. 6. WATER QUALITY Water quality is a major issue to be addressed in the state of Punjab. The DWSS shall accordingly undertake the following: 7 6.a Overall approach Encourage GPs/VWSCs to motivate local communities to shift to public water supply systems. | Provide support, in the interim, to all households that continue to use private water supply sources to test and treat their water supply accordingly before use. The DWSS shail test samples drawn from ail publicly-provided common and household-level water supply sources for physical, chemical and bacteriological parameters, as per the protocols of the Government of India, and display the results on the website In case of disasters such as epidemics and floods and failures of regular water supplies, water testing efforts shall be intensified beyond regular testing and appropriate treatment or alternative sources provided to ensure the supply of potable water (e.g., water tankers, drilling of supplementary bore wells, connection to other water systems through additional pipelines, etc.). e In areas where the water supply from deep tube-wells or hand pumps with higher-than- threshold levels of contaminants, including heavy metals such as Uranium or Total Dissolved Solids (TDS), Fluoride or Arsenic, efforts shall be ‘made to shift from groundwater-based sources to safer alternatives, such as conjunctive water supply, surface water (canal) based sources and RO systems. e The DWSS shall constantly explore and adopt new water treatment technologies, such as Automatic Rapid Sand Filtration System, wherever applicable and effective. 6.5 Community-based water testing | e Bacteriological quality shall be tested by the community at common-source systems and at househojJd-level, particularly where private individual sources like hand-pumps and submersible pumps are being used. = For community-level water testing, H2S vials shall be distributed and awareness regarding the use of H2S vials shall be spread within the local communities through all possible means (e.g., in local schools, Gram Sabhas, meetings GPs/VWSCs, health centres, ASHA workers, anganwadi workers) 7 ” = Wherever testing reveal poor water quality, the community shall be made aware of household-level treatment options (such as chlorine tablets, boiling of water and treatment with sand and. charcoal) and GPs/VWSCs shall monitor disinfection efforts, until the water quality is improved by : GPs/VWSCs and DWSS efforts. e Chemical Quality: The chemical quality for basic parameters shall be tested by the community using field test kits (FTKs) at common-source systems and at household-level, particularly where private individual sources like hand-pumps and submersible pumps are being used =» FTKs shall be placed in common locations within the community, such as local schools, water works sites and in panchayat offices, etc. e Heavy Metals and Uranium: These additional tests are to be carried out in addition to the standard parameters used for chemical quality testing. = All public water supply schemes shail be tested at state-level for heavy metals and uranium, regularly. = All schools in the state having a private water source shall test their water supply for all basic parameters including heavy metals and uranium, regularly. - e Testing facilities: In addition to regular testing by the DWSS at their own facilities, the following activities shall be carried out: = If alHeaith Centre exists in the village, the pharmacist shall be guided and an additional incentive given for testing basic parameters and guiding - users accordingly. - » Wherever applicable, equipments may be provided to engineering colleges (such as those attached to the Punjab Technical University, Jalandhar) after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for testing and awareness generation of local communities. 7. SANITATION 7.a Household Sanitation Systems Open defecation in rural areas and the use of unsafe or unsanitary toilets degrades the environment and contaminates shallow groundwater. To address this problem, the DWSS shall: e Promote designs for various types of safe sanitation systems, (e€.g., proper design of septic tanks with soak pits, double leach pit toilets, ecological sanitation systems and piped sewerage systems with proper sewage treatment), in all sanitation promotion activities. . e Enable all rural households to have access to and use safe sanitation systems that collect and treat human waste without allowing the contamination of ground water and the spread of diseases. e Cover all villages with underground sewerage system in a phased manner giving priority to villages having 100% water supply connections e Ensure that all government schools and anganwadis have functional toilets and safe sanitation systems 7.b Environmental Sanitation Without adequate arrangements for treatment and disposal, wastewater from village houses and cattle-sheds stagnates in public places and also seeps into hand pumps, open dug wells and ponds, creating environmental pollution and water-related diseases. Garbage dumped in ‘rudis’ (the traditional village dumping grounds), which are often located near village ponds, also severely impacts their water quality and holding capacity. Village drains are also choked by polyethylene bags, plastic bottles and sachets causing waste water to overflow and stagnate in low-lying areas. Finally, non- biodegradable waste is also often burnt, contributing to environmental pollution. To address these serious and growing problems, the DWSS shall: e ‘Support GPs/VWSCs to manage solid wastes and waste water in their villages (e.g., by renovation of existing ponds by dredging and growing aquatic plants like Arundo, Phragmites and duckweed). e Provide technical assistance for treating waste water, renovating and remodelling village ponds, identifying appropriate land fill sites and sourcing incinerators. e Liaise with other departments, wherever necessary, to provide scientific and eco- friendly facilities (such as biogas generation, vermiculture etc.) to GPs//WSCs for the safe disposal of the large amounts of cattle waste generated in villages and for the creation of better-quality manure . e Organize the collection of information on environmental sanitation through online reporting and place this information in the public domain for greater transparency and informed decision-making 8. WASH IN TEACHING CURRICULA e Schools: Make the introduction of WASH issues mandatory in the syllabus of all government and private schools in the state, For instance, systematic hygiene education may be introduced in primary classes and other issues (e.g., practical examinations for water quality testing) may be made mandatory in higher classes. Also, students may be given home or holiday assignments to test water sources in their village and assess environmental sanitation. ¢ Colleges: Introduce courses on WASH issues at University level for engineering and other colleges in the state to build awareness and capacity in the younger generation. Provide incentives to students doing projects, in coordination with the DWSS, which are relevant to WASH activities on the ground. 9. PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS With a long-term perspective to avail new opportunities for the rapid expansion of rural water supply and sanitation services, and to merge the skills, expertise and experience from public and private sectors so as to improve services delivered to beneficiaries, DWSS shall explore and adopt appropriate options under Public Private Partnerships (PPP). Such PPP contracts shall be actively explored and adopted for options such as the following: e Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) contracts for the installation and O&M of highly technical systems, such as RO plants, sewerage and other systems e Contracts of O&M of groundwater and surface-water based water supply schemes. ts 10.GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL A well-functioning system to register and address complaints regarding water supply and sanitation systems and also to provide redressal of disputes is necessary for all consumers of systems set up and operated jointly by GPs//WSCs and DWSS. The DWSS shall therefore explore all options for the following: e Further improve the existing system of ShikayatNiwaranKendras (SNK) and make this improved system available to all rural habitations of the state. e Set up an effective, transparent and- accountable mechanism to redress grievances of consumers regarding water supply and sanitation services, such as consumer billing. 41.COMMUNICATION AND DISSEMINATION . Given the importance of giving timely and correct information to the public, including rural consumers, the DWSS shail formulate and implement a Communication and Dissemination Strategy, through its Communication and Capacity Development Unit (CCDU). This shall cover issues such as implementation status and progress of water supply and sanitation initiatives, water quality, grievance redressal, tariff rates, collection and cost recovery, behavioural change communication, public-private-partnerships, climate change, case studies of best practice and special studies. Methods of dissemination shall include the print and electronic media, video documentaries, websites and blogs, in English and local languages. 12.INTER-DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION The programmes and policies of several departments can enhance the implementation of rural water supply and sanitation programmes: The Health Department can guide rural communities on ways to control the health impacts of contaminated water and environmental pollution; the Education Department can inform school students regarding water quality and hygiene (including menstrua! hygiene); the Women and Child Development Department can create awareness of water quality and hygiene to rural women (e.g., through door to door campaigns as in the case of pregnant women). The DWSS shall accordingly forge inter-sectoral linkages with other line departments such as Health, Education, Women and Child Welfare,-Panchayati Raj and Rural Development through multi-lateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) for cost- effective, efficient and integrated delivery of water supply, sanitation and hygiene- related programmes. This may include behavioural change communication (including IEC), community mobilization, capacity building and awareness generation at household, village and institutional level (e.g., schools and angawadis). Inter- departmental coordination shall be sought, in particular, with flagship programmes of the Health and Education departments such as the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and National Rural Health Mission to enhance effective programme implementation and behavioural change for the rural community. 13. IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS 13.a Allocation of Responsibility The DWSS shall continue to be the nodal department for the implementation of drinking ‘water supply and sanitation projects in rural areas of Punjab. All projects shall either be implemented or coordinated by the DWSS so that the funds received from various sources are utilized optimally. The DWSS shall also facilitate policy-making, planning ‘and development, resource mobilization and allocation, monitoring and evaluation and information management. In accordance with the NRDWP, the State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) shall be responsible for all policy decisions at state-level, supported by institutions such as the State Program Management Cell (SPMC), the District Water and Sanitation Committees (DWSCs) and the District Program Management Cells (DPMCs). The DWSS shall ensure the time-bound implementation of all policies. The responsibility for implementation and service delivery will continue to be shared between DWSS’s existing organizational structure (Operations wing) and the GPs/VWWSCs. 13.6 Community Involvement Following the decentralized and demand-driven approach, the GPs and VWSCs - set up as statutory sub-committees of GPs - shall take primary responsibility for the design, implementation and management of water supply and sanitation schemes: Accordingly, the GP shall be the key driver of the mobilization, participation and empowerment of the rural community. They will however, require considerable support from DWSS to carry out these functions. Accordingly, the DWSS shall provide the following support services: Direct support e Provide teams.to build the capacity of GPs//WSCs, to strengthen these institutions and inculcate good governance systems and practices until they are able to take primary responsibility for the implementation and management of their water supply and sanitation systems. o These teams may be sourced from in-house resources and from other Departments, (Government institutions or Universities.) o Specific capacities to be enhanced shall include enforcement of rules and regulations, accountancy and book keeping, supervision of the work of technicians and pump operators, liaising with government departments and managing minor repairs. e Provide a range of capacity building services for GP and VWSC members, including training courses, practical training and exposure visits. e Provide teams to create and capacitate community-based organizations (CBOs) such as Youth Groups and Mother’s Clubs, and also for retired government officials and ex-servicemen, to supplement the work of the GPs/VWSCs Provide funding support for major repairs in handed-over schemes ~ Promote the coritracting of local women’s groups for O&M of water and sanitation schemes e Assist GPs/VWSCs to carry out a range of issues, including the following o Motivate the community to share the responsibility for managing of village water supply and sanitation systems. o Computerize books of accounts for greater transparency and accountability and to put information on the public domain o Build strong partnerships based on transparency and trust with community o Set up strong conflict resolution mechanisms within the village. Indirect support e Release funds meant for rural water supply and sanitation programmes and available under relevant state and central government programmes (e.g., Thirteen Finance Commission, Rural Development) and external agencies e Liaise with other departments on a range of issues, including o The possibility of using ASHA workers, Aanganwadi workers and school teachers (in return for an honorarium from the GPs/VWSCs) for furthering community involvement and participation. o Legal support to recover water charges and fines from defaulters and to take punitive actions against unauthorized tapping from distribution networks. o Livelihood skills training programmes (such as computer courses, stitching, cooking, nursing courses etc.) to empower women and help offset the costs of monthly water bills e Orientate key political and administrative functionaries to support GPs/VWSCs initiatives . 14. BEHAVIORAL CHANGE COMMUNICATIONS There is a critical need for accelerated behavioural change among households to switch to protected water supplies through house connections and metering,- to conserve water, to change sanitation and hygiene practices and be willing to pay for water supply and sewerage services. The DWSS shall therefore, devise and implement appropriate behavioural change communication (BCC) strategies (messages, materials, reach etc) and related institutional mechanisms, including the following: 14.a Community-level e Continuous Information, Education and Communication (IEC) activities like publications (brochures, pamphlets, newsletters and posters), folk media, print and electronic media, rallies, campaigns, workshops, inter-personal communication (IPC), Street Plays/Puppet Shows, public announcements, social mapping, etc. e Communication activities for community involvement and participation 14.6 Government officials e Expert-led workshops for DWSS staff to promote a spirit of social engineering and change management. e Awareness generation and motivation by trained experts for DWSS officials and officers at intermediary and grass-root levels 15.CAPACITY BUILDING The reform programme requires strong and sustained capacity building support at all levels, within government, PRIs and local communities. The DWSS shall design and implement such a support programme, in conjunction with other competent institutions and resource persons at state and district-levels, to cover the following aspects: 15.a Government officials e Carry out a Training Needs Assessment (TNA) to design and implement appropriate programmes for all state- and district-level officers of DWSS involved in mainstreaming the reform approach e Design and carry out training programmes, based on the TNA, using high-quality training materials and resource persons, whose performance shall be evaluated (and continued or replaced based on these evaluations) e Set up a specialized training institution for DWSS to provide continuous training for all staff using tailored and highly-specialized training materials on technical and non-technical isstes (e.g., social, BCC, IEC, administrative, time management, legal issues etc.) ; e Provide exposure visits for all levels of technical and non-technical officers and officials, with adequate preparation prior to the visit and feedback subsequent to the visit to share lessons learnt. . e Provide regular induction and refresher trainings to all levels of DWSS staff e Orient all new staff on a regular basis e Include capacity building performance as a criterion for annual performance appraisals and promotions. an 15.6 Community e DWSS shall prepare training materials and organize resource persons and training programmes to build the capacity of GPs//WSCs, CBOs and community women and men to manage their own water supply and sanitation schemes. - e The subject matter of these trainings shall cover all aspects of the pre-planning, planning, implementation, monitoring and post-implementation activities of water supply and sanitation schemes, including issues such as operation and maintenance (especially preventive maintenance), water management and conservation, accountancy and book-keeping, hygiene awareness, Behavioural Change Communication (BCC), etc. e Encourage and facilitate women to attend training programmes by making special provisions (e.g., training near the village, non-residential trainings, convenient timings) based on an assessment of their preferences - e Provide regular induction and refresher trainings and orient all new GPs/VWSCs members continuously. 16.LEGAL ARRANGEMENTS A legal framework to penalize offences concerning water supply and sanitation systems is a critical support to reform efforts, not only to penalize offenders but to also protect state-provided infrastructure from vandalism and damage by providing a legally- enforceable deterrent. The DWSS shall therefore carry out the following activities: e Review the existing legal framework to identify amendments necessary in existing laws and new legal documents necessary to support the reform policy e Draft new legislation based on the needs identified in the review of existing legal provisions - e In the interim period while new legislation is being drafted, include penal provisions in relevant existing legislations against offences such as the theft of water, illegal connections and pumping equipment and non-payment of water and sewerage bills,. e dn the absence of such legal documents also, executive orders by the government are to be issued to penalize offenders and protect state water supply and sanitation infrastructure. 17.FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS To achieve the objectives of this Policy, the Government of Punjab shall explore all possible funding sources including (but not restricted to) the following: 1. Departmental funds of the DWSS 2. District-level pooled funds on IEC and BCC from different departments such as Education and Health 3. Allocations from Government of India, including the funds allocated under National Rural Drinking Water Programme 4. Financial assistance from various multilateral agencies such as World Bank, ADB, or JICA a . 5. Loans from financing institutions such as NABARD, LIC etc. 6. Public-private partnerships 18. MONITORING ARRANGEMENTS In order to monitor the implementation of water supply and sanitation schemes and to evaluate the feedback, the DWSS shall take the following initiatives: 4 18.a State level - e Setup a State-level Monitoring Committee, under the SWSM, to check the overall performance (including financial and physical) of all water supply & sewerage schemes handed over to GP/GPWSC in the State, and to take remedial action as necessary e Contract third-parties to carry out performance verification, water audits and social audits . ~ 18.b District level e Set up a District-level Monitoring Committee to check the overall performance {including financial and physical) of water supply and sewerage schemes handed over to GP/GPWSC in the District, and take remedial action e Liaise with the Deputy Commissioner/District Collect or to ensure that necessary directions and arrangements are made to ensure the smooth running of water supply and sanitation schemes in the district. e Contract third-parties to carry out performance verification, water audits and social audits , 18.c Sub-district level e Set up a Monitoring Committee at sub-district level (e.g., block, tehsil) to check the overall performance (including financial and physical) of water supply & sewerage schemes handed over to GPs/GPWSCs, and take remedial action. e Ensure regular: visits to GPs by local level government staff (e.g., Junior Engineers and Sub-Divisional Engineers of DWSS, Block Development and Panchayat Officers (BDPOs) to attend GPs/VWSCs meetings and to address local problems : . 18.d Irrespective of DWSS/GP/GPWSC ownership of the O&M activities; all O&M Schemes shall be monitored to ensure their individual O&M Financial Seif- Sustainability. 19. AMENDMENTS TO THE POLICY This Policy is a dynamic document that will evolve over time to address new challenges effectively and adequately. It shall therefore be updated and reworked on the basis of good practices and experiences gained during implementation. The State Water and Sanitation Mission (SWSM) shall be the competent authority for any amendment in this policy on the recommendation of the DWSS. Dated Chandigarh Suresh Kumar, IAS Principal Secretary to Government Punjab . Department of Water Supply & Sanitation. Endst. No. 13/168/201 3-PBR2/ Dated Chandigarh, A copy is forwarded to Controller, Printing & Stationery, Department of Punjab, Chandigarh, with the request that this notification may be published in Punjab Government Extra-ordinary Gazette Notification. It is also requested that 500 copies of notification may be sent to Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Water Supply & Sanitation, Punjab Civil Secretariat-2, Sector 9, Chandigarh. Special Secretary Endst. No. 13/168/20133BR2/ 6% Dated Chandigarh, [4 | S | ty A copy is forwarded to — 1. Principal Secretary to Government of Punjab, Department of Local Government an L Chief Engineer (South/ North/ Ex-cadre), DWSS, Patiala 2. Chief Engineer, Central — cum- Programme Director, SPMC, Mohali 4. Superintendent, Cabinet Affairs Branch in reference to their letter No. 1/13/2014-1Cabinet/694 of 28.2.2014. - Secretary HEAKKKEEKE