1. What is RWSSP-LIS (Neer Nirmal Pariyojana)?

Government of India (GOI) with assistance from World Bank has designed a Rural Water and Sanitation Project for low income states where household water supply coverage is very low. Covering four states in first phase- Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh the project has been named as Neer Nirmal Pariyojana (NNP).

2. Which are the states where this project is implemented?

The RWSSP-LIS is being implemented in the four states of Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh.

3. What is the objective of the project?

The objective of the project is to ‘Provide improved piped water supply and sanitation services for selected rural communities in the target states through decentralized service delivery systems’.

4. What is the project cost for Assam?

 The project cost for Assam is Rs. 1474.03 Crore.

 What is the fund sharing pattern?

The fund sharing pattern is as follows:

6. What is the components of the fund sharing pattern? 

Component wise fund sharing patter is as follows:

Infrastructure: 91%

Project Management: 3%

Capacity Building and Sector Development: 6% 

7. What are the benefits of the project?

Following are some of the benefits of the project:-

• Improved water availability.
• Reduction in time spent in collecting water.
• Improved sanitation services, including environmental sanitation.
• Reduction in the incidence of diseases, particularly diarrhoea, malaria, encephalitis, and dengue.
• Reduction in expenditure on diagnosis and treatment (including medication, hospitalization charges etc.).
• Reduction in person days lost. 

8. What is the project implementation period?

The project implementation period is as follows:

• The Construction Period is 3 years. In the construction period the construction related works for the project will be completed, which include the construction of the water treatment plant and reservoirs.
• The O & M period is 5 years (O&M period varies from 1-5 years depending on the scale of the scheme). During this time the project will be operated and maintained by the construction company and in collaboration with the community. 

9. In how many districts the project is being implemented?

Neer Nirmal Pariyojana has been taken up in 7 (seven) districts of Assam in 2 (two) batches during the period during 2013-2020. 

10. Which are the districts where the project is implemented?

The project is implemented in the 7 districts in two batches. In batch-I, 3 nos. of project in Hailakandi, Jorhat and Kamrup district are being implemented and in batch-II, 4 nos. of MVS project in Morigaon, Bangaiagaon, Sonitpur & Sivasagar district are being implemented.

11. On what basis the Districts are selected?

• The districts in both batches are selected based on water quality issues and low coverage of household water supply connection.
• Low coverage of piped water supply and sanitation within the State.
• Quality affected especially with chemical contamination (Fluoride, Arsenic and Iron) in ground water.
• Large number of water scarce habitations.
• Large socially and economically disadvantaged population. 

12. How much water will be supplied per person?

Water will be supplied @ 70 LPCD

13. What is the water supply hour?

Water will be supplied 24x7 through metered house connections.

14. What is metered house connection?

Under the project the water will be supplied to the households through a house hold meter, where the amount of water used by the beneficiary will be recorded and on the basis of the use, the households have to pay monthly charges.

15. How many GPs are to be covered under the project?

In batch-I,  63 number of GPs under  7 Development Blocks  and  a total population of 5,89,283 is being covered. And In batch-II, 110 GPs under 9 Development Blocks and a total population of 6,82,183 is being covered.

16. What is baseline survey?

The baseline survey is a survey of the households done at the project area. The prime objective of the survey is to make a “pool of information” to prepare “Detail Project Report (DPR)” for the respective Scheme. The Baseline survey is proposed to be undertaken to commence the Neer Nirmal Pariyojana operations in the project areas. The survey has been undertaken using web-based software through Tablet (hand held computer).

17. How is baseline survey done?

Enumerator will go House to House with Tablet device where the survey application is installed and the net pack is ON. Enumerator will conduct the survey and feed the data along with photograph of the responded. Here, the geo-coordinates will be captured under the application which will be helpful in to tracking the location.

18. What is the objective of baseline survey?/ Why Baseline Survey is done?

The prime objective of the survey is to make a “pool of information” to prepare “Detail Project Report (DPR)” for the respective Scheme. Baseline survey is done to get a detail report of the project area especially about its population and socio economic status of the project area. More over the baseline survey of the household will also work as the data base for community contribution collection and providing water supply connection.

19. Will every house be included in the baseline survey? 

Yes, every household of the each GP under the project area will be included under the baseline survey.

1. What is MVWSC?

MVWSC is Multi Village Water and Sanitation Committee (MVWSC). For the purpose of implementing the project, Water and Sanitation Committees are constituted. At the district level, Multi Village Water and Sanitation Committee (MVWSC) is involved in implementing, monitoring and overseeing project interventions/activities. 

2. What is GPWSC?

The Gaon Panchayat Water and Sanitation Committee (GPWSC) are formed as sub-committees of GP. Gaon Panchayat Water and Sanitation Committees (GPWSC) are responsible for design and implementation of the project, environmental sanitation schemes, implementation of household sanitation components, IEC/ BCC activities for spreading awareness on sanitation and hygiene and ensuring participation of beneficiaries with support of Community Mobilizers. The beneficiary contribution collected and the monthly water tariff will be deposited in the GPWSC bank account. 

3. Who is the member of GPWSC?

The following are the members of the Gaon Panchayat Water and Sanitation Committee:

4. Who are the members of MVWSC?

The following are the members of the Multi Village Water Sanitation Committee:

President ZillaParishad as Chairman; ZP, CEO/ Administrator as Vice Chairperson; EE(PHE) of project execution division as Member secretary; Chairperson from project GP, Member of AP, Member of ZP, GP secretary as Members. SHG, youth, citizen group as selected members.

1. What is Community Contribution?

To achieve the goal, the project enhanced community ownership through token community contribution towards capital expenditure is envisaged. Community contribution will form about 1% of total Project cost.

An amount of Rs. 450 per household will be collected as an upfront, one-time, contribution from the beneficiary household (Rs. 225 for SC/ST household) as Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) Contributions. 

2. What are CAPEX and OPEX in community contribution?

An amount of Rs. 450 per household will be collected as an upfront, one-time, contribution from the beneficiary household (Rs. 225 for SC/ST household) as Capital Expenditure (CAPEX) Contributions. The Community Contribution so collected will be deposited in to the GPWSC account.

Recovery of O&M expenses, i.e. Operational Expenditure (OPEX) through user charges, based on household usage – metered household connections will be levied.

3. Is community contribution being collected from every house?

Yes, community contribution will be collected from the households which are covered under the baseline survey. And the baseline survey has covered every household under the project area.

4. Where do you have to pay the Community Contribution?

The Community Contribution has to be paid to the Community Mobilizers who are a part of the project and will visit house to house for collection of the Community Contribution. The collected Community Contribution again deposited to the GPWSC account for the project.

5. How much Community Contribution as CAPEX have to be paid?

An amount of Rs. 450 (Rs. 225 for SC/ST household) per household will be collected as an upfront, one-time, Community Contribution from the beneficiary household as CAPEX.

6. Will there be any receipt for the community contribution paid? 

Yes, a receipt will be given to the beneficiary after the payment of the Community Contribution.

7. After the commission of the water supply on what basis bill have to be paid?

Water tariff have to be paid as per actual consumption of water recorded in the meter.

8. Where will the collected amount be kept?

The collected amount from the household as water usage bill will be kept in the GPWSC account.

9. Where the collected amount will be used?

The collected amount will be used in the operation and maintenance of the water supply project.

10. Do you have to submit any documents at the time of payment of Community Contribution?

All beneficiaries will have to submit relevant document for resident proof. For SC/ ST beneficiaries, relevant document (Cast certificates) at the time of payment, need to be submitted for proof and be eligible to pay Rs. 225.

1. Who are community mobilizers?

Community Mobilizers are engaged to expedite the process of social mobilization. They are at the fore front generating awareness among the masses regarding services of water supply and sanitation under NNP. Community Mobilizers are the bridge between the department, GPWSC and community as a whole. 

2. How many community mobilizers will be there in one GP?

Each project GP has 2 (two) Community Mobilizers – 1 (one) male and 1 (one) female preferably. Each Community Mobilizer is allotted specific Ward/Villages for their work.

3. What is the role of Community Mobilizers?

The following are the main role of Community mobilizers:

• Sensitize project stakeholders including GPWSC, GP and the Community.
• Conduct awareness camps and training programmes for GPWSC, GP and Community.
• Ensure regular meetings of GPWSCs.
• Facilitate individual to take-up household based piped water supply
• Collection of Community Contribution. 

4. How the Community Mobilizers are engaged?

As the project lays emphasis on quality and sustainability as well as time bound implementation, it was essential to get the right person from among the community who can mobilize the community by communicating the right messages pertaining to their participation for successful implementation of the project.

The candidates were selected during the selection processes carried out in the respective GPs across the project districts in the presence of respective GP/GPWSC Presidents, SO & Member Secretary of GPWSCs and DPMU Specialists and also all other candidates and community members present there.

1. How many phases are there in the project?

The project has 4 phases.

2. What are the phases of the project?

• The four phases of the project are:
• Pre-planning phase.
• Planning phase.
• Implementation (construction) phase.
• O&M and sustainability phase.

3. What is the time duration of these phases?

• The time duration of these phases is given below:
• Pre-planning phase is from 1^st to 3^rd
• Planning phase is from 4^th to 9^th
• Implementation (Construction) phase is from 10^th to 24^th
• O&M and sustainability phase is 24^th Month onwards. 

4. What is Water treatment plant?

Water Treatment Plant is the place where water pumped from the raw water pumping is treated. 

5. What is Opex?

OPEX is the Operational Expenditure is the user charges collected on the basis of household usage.