Online published on 28 August, 2013.
Recent recognition by Government of increased focus on Drinking water and Sanitation brings urban and rural water supply systems, in a priority domain. Water services in rural areas are oriented to bringing potable supplies within the access and reach, of village households. In urban cities, the services have so far veered around to providing safe drinking water to economically backward and to effluent sections of urban household and residents. This is done being done by meeting priority for supply of minimum, equity based access of safe water (acceptable quality with water treatment) to weaker sections of society. The effluent city neighbourhood are being provided with water borne sewerage system and more liberal per capita supplies. At the same time, current orientation is to integrate the process of r city planning (transportation, roads and streets, drainage) as part of urban needs. The water and waste water infrastructure, including water for various uses (Industrial, institutional, pumping, domestic, recreational etc.) are addressed as a basic service. The waste waters which represent water used as return flows and storm water are also an intrinsic part of this planning. The investments must be recovered from water users, surplus generated for raising public funds, operations awarded to service agencies for efficient supplies, keeping asset management under investors control.
The Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewable Mission (JnNURM) Programme of GoI categories the cities of India in tiers, based on population. The storm water and effluents evacuation and disposal systems, and solid waste management are no longer a low priority sectots. The states are carving out new, urban oriented departments in urban water supply and sewerage boards, which independent of state Public Health Departments, now entrusted with rural water supplies GNCT is experimenting with 24x7 water supplies in select neighbourhoods, metering and related hydraulic studies for turning urban supply systems financially remunerative. The criteria of water supply in urban areas, for domestic uses of 135 litres/capita/day availability in the dwellings (with 1% extra for fire protection needs). In new minimum figure for provision of water-borne sewerage system in a city and the provision of this system is charged as a percentage of water supply charges. The paper attempts to understand the reliability, sustainability and efficiency concepts in the system, requirement of Total Quality Management, and explores potential for a turnabout on obtaining financial returns on investment by a water utility. In this exercise, methods and techniques to be adopted to understand, plan, build and operate the system within an effective cost, can interest the readers.
