National   

Experts to go into challenges in rural water supply, sanitation

NEW DELHI: The Union Rural Development Ministry has set up a high-power technical experts group to review ongoing programmes, particularly the Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission (RGNDWM), and identify issues and challenges in providing access to adequate safe drinking water and sanitation to the rural community on a sustainable basis.

Chaired by Gourishankar Ghosh, founder Mission Director, RGNDWM, the group will also identify critical linkages with other sectors for optimal impact on poverty reduction and better health for the poor through increased access to safe drinking water and sanitation/hygiene.

It will recommend improved operational and institutional linkages with the National Rural Health Mission, Watershed Development and Management, Housing and Industrial Development, and the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

Besides recommending steps for better integration between drinking water supply, sanitation and hygiene with health at the grass roots, the group will suggest a strategy to channel efforts and resources to achieve the universal goal of safe drinking water and sanitation to all by 2012.

The group has been asked to identify gaps in water and sanitation technologies and their use, and focus on new research and development efforts and the latest advances, and surface, ground and rainwater management. It is empowered to adopt and formulate strategies to bridge these gaps.

It will suggest mechanisms for control, regulation and enforcement of public health and pollution control requirements.

It will review the activities and contribution of international and bilateral agencies, and recommend any new mechanism for betterment of the partnership with bilateral and multilateral agencies, civil society, non-governmental agencies, the private sector, the State Governments, R and D institutions and the Panchayati Raj Institutions.

Identification of areas for private sector partnership, especially promotion of small entrepreneur participation and sector development, as well as for local level economic activity for income generation has also been entrusted to the group.

The members are Ajay Shankar, Ravi Narayan, Indira Chakravarty, Indira Hirway, Sudarshan Ayangar Rupal Talbott and A.K. Sushila.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Left Front to launch movement against price rise
Masjid firing: affidavit filed
More police recruits sacked in U.P.
The unsung hero of Buddhist revival in India
Attack on house of Karunanidhi’s daughter
Brinda Karat seeks inquiry into wheat imports
Ramakrishna Math chief’s condition critical
ATC officer suspended
Historical discrimination cannot justify reservation: counsel
Why inaction against VIPs and political parties, asks court
‘Maharashtra ignoring tribal rights over forest land’
Sikh pilgrims denied visas
Sanctions should be imposed on Pakistan, Bangladesh: Rajnath Singh
Sikhs seek cremation grounds in Afghanistan
“Water, sanitation core of development process”
Experts to go into challenges in rural water supply, sanitation
Violence-hit AMU still tense
Swamy: deploy Coast Guard
‘Entrust vocational education to private sector’
Dalit Christians plan stir for Scheduled Caste status
Nepal’s internal matter: Pranab

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu