Water lessons

Kempamma is a woman with a difference. She provides water to all in the B Matekere village, in HD Kote taluka, Mysore district in Karnataka. The proud water operator explains her role, "I operate the pumps and valves in the village. The village is divided into five zones. Electricity being a scarce resource, water is supplied to all five zones for 20 minutes a day." She is assisted by her husband Thottaiyah. Both were trained by the NGO MYKAPS who is implementing Integrated Village Water Management [IVWM] Programme, which adopts a source to sink approach.

Aimed at providing safe, sustainable water for all in a village, IVWM lays emphasis on community owned, managed systems with appropriate institutional mechanisms to ensure inclusion and equity. The idea is to manage water locally, by closing the water loop and thereby reducing vulnerability. Key principles are integration and convergence. IVWM model work towards establishing the linkages between, water resources, water supply systems and infrastructure, access to water and its usage, sanitation [treatment and safe disposal or reuse of wastewater] with in a village system. Such a system is driven by strong village level institutions which ensures that programme is socially, economically, technically, institutionally and environmentally sustainable.

B Matekere is proud to have conjuctive use through rainwater harvesting, metered water supply to every household, ecosan toilets and more importantly a strong village water committee which takes all critical decisions on water in a participatory manner.

Arghyam is extending financial support to MYKAPS to implement the programme. Similar programmes are under implementation in Kolar district in Karnataka by MYRADA, in Bundelkhand by Development Alternatives, and in Ahmed Nagar, Maharashtra by Watershed Organisation Trust [WOTR] in Maharashtra.

For more details write to grants@arghyam.org