Gujarat’s rural drinking water strategy is community-led, recognising that sustainable service delivery depends on local ownership and strong O&M. To institutionalise community participation, the State established WASMO in 2002, providing technical and financial support to village-level institutions. With universal tap connectivity achieved under the JJM, the post-coverage focus has shifted to service assurance, regular, reliable and safe supply through efficient O&M, financial viability and community-led management. In line with GoI’s direction on community engagement in O&M, WASMO is implementing the initiative as the nodal agency and strengthening the capacity building of Gram Panchayat and other stakeholders.
Capacity Development through Training
WASMO has trained 1,940 Gram Panchayat members and officials on critical O&M aspects, including roles and responsibilities, leakage repair, technical and financial management, water quality monitoring, and user charge collection. To address the specific challenges of tribal areas, WASMO also conducted 37 targeted programmes in tribal districts, training 2,295 Sarpanches, Gram Panchayat officials and other members. The efforts have improved the regularity of supply, enhanced tariff collection and community awareness.
Skill Upgradation of Pump Operators
Recognising the need for skill-based training, WASMO collaborated with the Gujarat Council of Vocational Training (Department of Labour and Employment) to design a 40-hour, 10-day certificate course for pump operators. The training was conducted through ITI centres at the taluka level.
- 13,700 bore operators were trained. Course covered PVC/G.I. fittings, pipeline distribution systems, leakage detection, motor and control panel operations, and safety and hygiene.
- Operators now handle distribution, leakage repairs, and minor plumbing/electrical issues independently, reducing reliance on external technicians and enabling faster repairs.
- Monthly one-day refresher meeting-cum-trainings at taluka-level headworks, to enable operators’ knowledge and experience sharing.
- 4,000 bore operators have been identified for NJM training; sessions are expected to start shortly.
- Operators (at village level) share daily updates/photos related to distribution through a mobile app.
Engagement of Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) and Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for Effective Operation and Maintenance
To strengthen sustainable O&M, WASMO is scaling a PACS-SHG engagement model. Under the initiative, 160 PACS-SHGs have signed MoUs with Gram Panchayats, and ~15,000 members have been trained on technical, financial and managerial functions, including water quality monitoring and tariff collection. To streamline the efforts and provide guidance, WASMO has developed a simple, illustrated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) covering roles and responsibilities, repair & maintenance protocols, grievance redressal, technical guidance, etc.
Participating villages have reported regular water distribution, an average 50 per cent increase in water user charge collection, timely leakage repairs and a significant reduction in complaints.
Strengthening Gram Panchayat Financial Sustainability through Incentive and Award Schemes
Recognising that financial self-reliance is critical for sustainable O&M, focused interventions were undertaken in ~6,000 villages with low water user charges. Around 165 village clusters were formed, supported by dedicated field staff. To motivate better O&M and improve tariff collection, WASMO introduced two incentive schemes:
- Water-Tax Incentive Scheme: Applicable to ~5,900 villages with tax recovery below 30 per cent, this scheme rewards villages achieving over 50 per cent collection with incentives of up to Rs 1.5 lakh. Incentives are extended to PACS, SHGs, and Village Community Entrepreneurs (VCEs).
- Operation & Maintenance Incentive Reward Scheme: Designed to improve O&M in tribal villages, offering award incentives up to Rs 2 lakh based on criteria (such as grievance handling, regular distribution, timely repairs, tariff collection, and overall scheme management).
These targeted efforts led to a marked improvement in collections, with total water user charges in these villages nearly doubling during 2024-25.
Women’s Participation in Drinking Water Management
WASMO is also promoting women’s involvement in water management through the “Mukhya Mantri Mahila Pani Samiti Protsahan Yojana”. Under this, incentives are provided structured support through taluka- and district-level workshops and exposure/learning visits.
More than 400 Pani Samitis have been encouraged and supported (in the last three years), and 12,000 women have participated in workshops and exposure visits. Today, in many villages, Pani Samitis are directly managing the operation and maintenance of rural water supply schemes.
Water Quality and FTK (Field Test Kit) Awareness
WASMO has also prioritised water quality awareness initiatives in schools and communities. A total of 324 school-based programmes trained 44,471 students and teachers on safe drinking water, water-borne diseases, and FTKs use, with many students emerging as “Water Champions.” In addition, FTK training was provided in 72 villages to 1,118 women members from SHGs, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers, and women Pani Samiti members. Large-scale awareness activities were also conducted under Poshan Maah Abhiyan and the Stop Diarrhoea Campaign, reaching around 40,000 Anganwadi centres and 8,000 schools, strengthening community awareness of safe drinking water and disease prevention.
WASMO is also piloting community-led water budgeting to improve O&M and source sustainability, while increasing awareness on water security and strengthening collection against demand. At present, through sustained community participation, Gujarat is advancing towards effective operation and maintenance, sustainability, and self-reliance in rural water supply schemes. These initiatives are setting a strong model for other States and villages across the country.
