31416
,4 The PLA Initiative
is for Action
Recognizing the linkages between user participation and sustainability
of services, Vellangallore Panchayat initiated an innovative intervention
drawing on resources from the community and service institutions in a
mutually supportive framework.
Community Profile
me Vellangallore Panchayal, Thrissur Districl,      ,1    ,_I
ceniral Kerala, India.
|  Area 26eCI sq km population 32 816
l1991 Census). 13 wards
!   8,900 householdsi
H High poverry and wvaler srarcil'r 
m  919 houceholds with privale lap connections.                          4
368 public taps used by ihe poorer seclon of
the socicier
The reliati.el rich households also have
perennial sells that they use to create their
own water pJmping and interrinl plumbing
systerris
Self-assessment at a tap stand
'7the   opportunity to see the action underlying  the council and   the KWA. Impressed    by the
the  Participatory  Learning  and  Action  (PLA)  women's creativity and  the commitment of all
Initiative has come earlier than expected. A new  parties to turn their informal water management
and   experimental  project was   launched  in    into a formal partnership for managing water as
Vellangallore  panchayat in Thrissur district of  a social and economic good, the Netherlands
Kerala in June 1 999. Its aim is to solve water   Development Cooperation (NEDA) has allocated
shortages  by  saving,  recharging  and  better   support for implementation as well as documentation
distributing and  managing the available water    of the experiment for the forthcoming Second
resources through a partnership of women, men,    World Water Conference.



(      (J    o fJ  f tl z lc   f ri  rip Dvver  ii  the ri r il svciter  I rt E                                 I, I i1  Ii, I
vUF        rt ic:rri,s tIM  -')E,- lt -' Irril E  rs I    e         .sr fi,r rs   '      '-      '       I:  -
irs-sr ^:   :f   - t.  (I  1l  I n: 'I raIn 1n1 age tile rLicili
I1IOU      t ) 01 vaiI if  hi riic -r ItEfr SI IH                                                    I Tn: ten IiI
cli  o u  l  I (Di  val, Il  1[(: Nti^Alo   0'Uter  Scl eri -e.  Th:  res-Ilt:  1  eIn):iraiecl  I,       I        r  i 1-r  n   t  -  l 
\' '-    : rrcnt op    ricit-v y alccat-e  e limrit-d arnoulit of  :1eIrrhsE _vO    if             1      I:  '  :r r- r  I
-vM E  r I  czlealrly i.;  -iJI , rz r  il[ l t es to iOs.e their aest ny  t'E-'rqiiisna il.)           1       r I n
irl 'I ?  :)s  hond.;r
i -  ir  c  4ii  iirip r
ir-;ls ()n higre r grn:1jr d ifi Vel r- : .1  clo ric get water at  l
pi1   cI:) e tirnei s r , vvni-n t-e(  a:  It is inadeequate, ofiern  v/rt  i   El..       Et'E;r       r  i c     c
1-,i  nl\ n-i ho 1r at -irne. Thi  lIi ts e-specially the poo er   k, _'1, sui a  c '   .      c,      !- e     oi I? !ir i ( I
E   tE   : _  |   |  |   .   l      l  l    l     \9vith(Dul  (:,  'oll,:-N  ,,;  1,  /  i:'tv ~~~~~~~~~~~~ f  i  5 .'  ? .  t1 \1houl-o  rll,-:,,,1F) )  .
hIcl   Ia cS, wvvhic i  .h I Ci bb11- t _l s  -  by the local                                E
cI   I retter- )ff hc  eho ds n  e pr vate ta:)ps  Maost rich    t    acomes    , p  -  I   oh ,'Il. r cii     t c
acIrr es '1ve Ilso Ic I It sa ra4 e is.ervcirs Elttcichedi to their
'.  * M -inriities,        ilE             I It iii  tl  AI
>Xtclt'-- -crnEctN)n tfl'n I MIClutliaE   a- f t-ip ardc do not iequ re
-')(- al I perv sion. - cuse hcld \s itnot private connection        i                ' c,- the II  r(  - e
.ci fv-7\./ it till water :arrIm o,n r trf public taps. This makes  las  cAn-n in   -        3n    I '     K's:-  c1
I Id                                            rE-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~4qfcfcirtlfcr1' ElT:'cjI tic 4
II       tile vvorrMir tCE Efr-;,-c 7heir time arid work.        'nr     oti  cl '     .' '; !  '  - ' I    '  -i . -      '
iniere?sts uvel jl :    1t-   t!l II, -           c 1E-(.
[hl- wv 'IE r coticerri: ho,e ie-c nEa tio infcrrnil lane-baseed  ge alI crind rn-, I r        II I t      c -
'.ci- I n (C1 agernent 'c coreil Eat th e plod em. Ilhiey leave a pot
IEe \v ti , tap, tnd  - vvwiiai Iiv ri(g nearest to tile tap listeris  THE  FIRST  STEP
forh riss nd of the tv rer   Er l. r tr tie pot (I f she lier within                                 -.-
(a  rot) ) loois out ( Er ft-e fill rE  varer (if she lives within  Tihe first rIsk         -i a  t   :r   -  a   tI     -   -
si 1h-erwise rees aily creck . f r wa :ter flow. '   rE       roStcOJs.ec           ii tr  cit-. sn  .tEl.'t       : Ir
a 1   nc. Id ( )ften ci 3 rl) Is ao.t-tJ neorr the tap, a  is doiie  use of w\ater    i     t          Ir ri icE    IE n  I 
inri Eer :rts of Incdica.  is i ; onea ticor , perhaps, why fewer  sJ jrce 0' Ile-si,  t  I   -'I .',S   I I     El    Ir
rjil tia'cI oys citten(d  'hoC I)'e- hE-varirs ot[ ers tlhatwater  bi tle cajir 5 : I    iiE is      i      II ri t-  I f   'I
iz     | ( . so tIlat al r'iyj ':ill tn-I r Doc  I he- informal water  idtint fiecd wVeiE
riar lEgE rl mit works I - t is extrereCl1' irconvenient. It makes
[)e( ce is I ctan to pa  -cr scrtrr ind i-oritributes, together with   pui e>.ces,  1   t             ' - :     1   1l n  1
nith r a(o rn istr-citive fi crs to thFe p) or cost recovery for the   pUrpcseS   E         i l Itil '  :  L   j '     : 
rMrCI age ri iit of the csc  rne. A ViciUscircle has been created      o rverrc-ns;i;iil: ' ci I II  II( ii-  1 "   I i
ij 'vtiicC  c'or servi,  anj Por(, parw/men' have become               ronnercticr  -
minn- rJll  t i-for ing.                                          .   1' 'asks sFprr i I  r Itl r jlr' If ik  n   t
Insi irt  i tnis Kind,  ancrie' I srio   onily to those directly
cor n,rn -l Ivas reveno ad ir the porti : poitory grcup processes      5'talIl..' I i        ' ! t    t I I? I
seca fci he L[rarnin I Assessmr- ts irin August-November              Itriler\,        $ iI
1 `E  fh, Leornint  Mssessmert, vere sponsored by the
Vv.    c.rcl IRC  as F prse I cf t[ie PLA Initi0tive. The local       *   Women     and  men   from  the community
partni-r .%r:'s the Sociic  coriom c lUnit Foundation (SEUF). The     *   Panchayat members, of which         one third
merlicdc la jy/ helps cor-imuni-ies tc -s ;e-ss social, technical and     are women*
inst I Jlioi El ospe-cts ol Frrvicre estrlDli rmeient aind aeliveny', and
*  Staff of KWA      (the water agency     managing
the scheme)
Th iic. i tsh-eu'pornerl -E;t(lt *EFi) :hsinme rEver ng SIX panrhayats.  *  TLO  (the Dutch-supported  Technical Liaison
I<e, ,I  nIa, Aut;'orify, ' wrE Sr (iq1:C/ Enialrcigincl Ihe scheme.      Officer)
3 UrJ, /--t  rld ?Beiik VV61 I ara  Sarnila i( )ri ;',oq arn, 'outlh  Asica.
4t] (  '-- Ta i A Fi Elk IVE r r re saiurn il agr,  jt Asir*            Stoff of the SEUF (the social support
If telr iut Di\dlVatero ESail tatir ill' -rn-, 1 1e NsDtherlands.    orga                               supporn
T   E p    E .f   El)-s in a pq-  wrItehr supo,/ 1 ci hilly Elnerc are ccmmon  organization)
EIM 'Ily -  errlIlk buit a  ir chef smila- aroas in Irndia and       *  IRC   International Water and     Sanitation
gir.:lily --DSM tokFE 01r1 I eaSi 1 irnp)  cs with ihe c1rowing         Centre   (the backstopping    organization)
CO~ I n5 i1 c A)f d nkir(? 9 tei, tme? i ri(rEl Erg shortage :f fresh water
oIlIrE tii r IJency of wuO  EI'JlElUi q   Jr1s cornrruniti0s rilike to expand  'A panchoyat is a dernocratically elected local government
<yst Hs      o cb  ad(dif )I Syrtern  cj-er than rnanage the vvater  body at the village level.
a r e,y y    cible
I 1111 0 111 1IHIIIII 1     I1 111111KII IIII I IIIE I-        1111111-       _-1111__ 1I tilIII111111111 1101 111111111011 IIiH  II



There are several other important reasons why water often fails
Voice  and   Choice, for  Women  to reach the consumers. These are:
IVoice and Choice for Women
;  *  infrequent and slow repair of leaks, which is related to
Water is their business                                 level of preventive maintenance and  presence of
resources - equipment and funds - and the authority
to execute speedy repairs
ihe modalities of the intervention will be          *   mechanical failures in the pumping system
worked out in a direct dialogue between women        -0 cuts in the electricity supply
representatives and the KWA at the site of the       -0 gaps in operation
central works of the scheme. This will also
provide  an   opportunity  for  the  KWA    to       THE   OBJECTIVES
familiarize the women and the supporting men         %he specific objectives of the intervention are:
representatives with the layout, operation and
rpconstraints of the scheme. la                         to test the potential to effectively address these problems
constraints of the scheme.                              by joint problem-solving actions by all stakeholders
A woman councilor of Vellangallore panchayat         so to recognize women's needs, commitment and management
A woman councilor of Vellangallore panchayatbyealnthmoladhepcs.Tissbig
head ofthe WI  sectio  in SEF willby enabling them to lead the process. This IS beling
and the hecd of the WID section in SEUF will            approached in a gender-sensitive way, that is, with men
manage the intervention. The other partners will        also taking their responsibilities and sharing the burden
assist the project management in the process.           as well as benefiting from the results.
Significant active participation by women can        THE   INTERVENTION
already be seen at all levels in Vellangallore:
in the community, the panchayat, the SEUF and        The package of interventions that has so far emerged from
the Kerala Water Authority. Since the women         the discussions between all stakeholders at the panchayat and
feel the issue most sharply and have already         scheme level consists of:
undertaken  informal  management measures,           eo reducing water wastage and unauthorized use through
management within the panchayat will also be            participatory learning and peer control
through  a  representation  from  the women.         ea augmenting available water resources through recharge
However, men also have a role in using (and             from rainwater harvesting pits
misusing) water. Hence the women may wish to         -o building alternative systems in the sections that can
invite men whom they feel can support. theirtechnically never be well reached, using improved
work without ma    they feel c  anisupporte             traditional rainwater harvesting as a base
workngewinthfou  the marginapizin e them. O aniz t      measuring the effects through a combined monitoring
arrangements for the purpose will be made with          system of KWA and users lusers will report on change
the help of the SEUF. SEUF has earlier made              in water levels in traditional wells)
a pioneering effort to train women masons in        .o improving reliable delivery and acceptable quality of
Thrissur in building toilets; some 300 are now          water by improving communication between the consumers
employed in environmental sanitation and the            and KWA
local building industry.                             SUBSEQUENT       STEPS: GIVE AND       TAKE
Since the users, especially the women, will          d  host of activities are planned to facilitate the give and take
provide inputs for the saving of water but will      between all stakeholder groups to move towards solving the
not immediately notice the effects of these efforts  problem jointly. Moving beyond the 'blaming the other'
on their own water availability, the intervention    paradigm, the intervention is a close collaboration where all
won their own water availability, the intervention  the actors join hands to solve their problem collectively.
Iwill address other factors influencing the quality
of the service, such as repair of leaks and          S E U F
mechanical failures.                                .o  Besides preparing a detailed work plan, the SEUF will,
in close cooperation with the KWA and the TLO, organize



a meeting of the women's representatives and the     Addressing  these  issues through  improved  relations
operational staff of the scheme, to arrange for the  with the women representatives will be part of the project.
modalities of the joint water-saving effort.
*o It will assist the panchayat and KWA in working out, in  PANCHAYAT
a joint meeting, a system of cooperation on local repairs  *  The panchayat will form  a gender representatives
of leaks and pipe/tap damage, curbing of illegal         committee under the authority of the Panchayat Act.
connections and pipe breakages and timely and proper  .  It will take follow-up actions in support of the gender
payment of consumer and panchayat charges towards        c         wi                          n
covering~~ ~ ~ th  ot o  h  cee                    committee's work, notably dealing with curbing of illegal
water uses and appropriate payments for water delivered
*   The SEUF will organize neighbourhood groups (40-50       through house connections and community taps.
households) to take up simple operation and maintenance.  It will address the work burden for women as volunteers
so It will also monitor physical and non-physical effects of  foc example, combining work on water management with
the intervention in cooperation with KWA and TLO and     other vomen's work for the panchayat (e.g. savings
liaise with other panchayats in the Mala Scheme for      collection) and providing expenses.
information and possible support to the project.
-                             *~~~~~~~~. It will supplement the  system  with  improved
KWA                   .     . .                             traditional water sources, digging of new wells, water-
shed management and constructing mini water supply
The KWA will cooperate and provide technical support in     schemes besides addressing poverty and gender issues
monitoring water consumption before, during and after the   in the rsinwster pit campaign.
interventions. It will monitor water delivery to Vellangallore
from the end of June 1 999 to March 2000, providing data  IR C
on water delivery to the area for the last three years and listing
households with private connections that consume more than  .  Backstop on gender and water management
the planned 50 lcpd. It will also provide an overview of  .  Liaise with the organizers of the Second World Water
panchayat payments for the consumption from and upkeep of   Conference on the projects, including the possibility of a
the community taps.                                         live video conference between the delegates at the
At the initial stage, data showing the improved availability of  conference and the women in Vellangallore
water will be more significant to the engineers than to the  -o Assist in the documentation of the process and outcomes
users. However, it is expected that during the summer months  of the project
the effect of the cooperation between users and the KWA will
become~~~~~~~~~ viil and ca,eetaoae  o h  fettaa  Since the intervention is aimed at only one of the six
bechieve when te appra         paned o    ver the tal    panchayats in the Mala Scheme, benefits from it will be less
schieme                                                  marked than if the issue had been addressed at the some time
scheme.                                                 in all six panchayats. Nevertheless, the experiment will be very
Other areas identified for strengthening the relationship and  useful as it will address the solution of growing water shortages
cooperation between the KWA and the users are communication  through cooperation between all stakeholders. This is an issue
and accountability with respect to:                      increasingly on the agenda in Kerala, India and the world
and the main theme of the Second World Water Conference
*o agreement on the service hours                       in March 2000. The results and impact of this intervention
*   adherence to the service hours                       will be documented and presented on the Gender Day of the
-   a good chlorinating system                           Second World Conference in the Hague on March 2000 in
a video conference. No doubt the community will have an
s   repairs by local craftsmen/women authorized and      "action"-packed story to tell, of learning together and working
controlled by KWA                                    together. .
E
UNDP -
World Bank                                                                                         -D
Water and                                                                                          -E
Program-                t                       This note has been prepared by Christine van Wilk, Rekha Dayol  '
Progrom -                                      and Shalini Sinha for a Clinic on Sustainability Monitoring, PREM Week, 
July 14, 1999.