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Pilot and Demonstration Activities
Advocacy for Change:
Multi Stakeholder Platform (MSP) for reforms of the Gwalior Urban Water Supply, Madhya Pradesh

Urban water supply in Gwalior District, Madhya Pradesh, India has been saddled by political pressures caused by disagreements among its various stakeholders. This PDA features the establishment of a Multi-Stakeholder Platform as the best means of stimulating institutional reforms in the district’s water sector.

  
PDA SNAPSHOT
Project Site Madhya Pradesh, India
Cost Estimate $50,000.00
Status Completed
Approval Date 2006/01
Completion Date June 2007
Category Urban Services
Type Policy Reforms
Proponent Alex Jorgensen, India Resident Mission
Partner Society for Participatory Development
Jasveen Jairath, General Secretary

BACKGROUND

About 64% of Gwalior district’s water supply is unaccounted for water (UFW). Water is available only one hour daily and a mere 62% of households have water connections. At the heart of the issue is the use of reservoirs in rural areas to serve a growing city population and its accompanying industries. The reservoirs, fed by river flows, catchment areas and groundwater, are also the main source of water of rural communities.

As a consequence, considerable political tension arose because of poor decision-making processes regarding water drawls. The water governance problem in Gwalior is further complicated by lack of transparency between and among agencies and the lack of regulation in water use.

Some soft measures have been undertaken to overcome severe water shortages and in response to political pressures. This has led to the classic “low equilibrium” situation of poor delivery at low cost.

A multi-stakeholder dialogue process is necessary to come up with least contentious solutions for the intensive use of water by both rural and urban constituencies. A suitable policy framework and measures that account for the needs of the poor must be formulated.

The mobilization of various stakeholder groups will make the establishment of a Multi Stakeholder Platform (MSP) possible.

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OBJECTIVES
  • Identify and organize the various stakeholder groups in the Gwalior City Water Corporation into a federated structure to prepare for their participation in the MSP
  • Establish MSP by mobilizing the various stakeholders of Gwalior City Metro Waterworks, especially the urban poor

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EXPECTED RESULTS
  Outputs     Outcomes     Indicators  

  • Federation or network of Resident Welfare Associations (RWAs)
  • Establishment of MSP for urban water supply comprising the public sector, private sector, and civil society
  • Gender-balanced representation in MSP and RWAs

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REPORT CARD

This PDA was completed in June 2007. Read the Final Report [PDF].

  Achievements     Recommendations  

This PDA

  • Helped formulate the constitution of Jan Tantra Samvad Manch (JTSM), the city-based Multi-stakeholder Dialogue Platform for water and sanitation, which was launched in June 2007
  • Conducted intensive social mobilization efforts to expand multi-stakeholders' views and drum up local actions on water and sanitation issues
  • Launched a website and e-newsletter to create a long term opportunity for resource generation for the JTSM secretariat
  • Increased interest and confidence among stakeholders in JTSM
  • Strengthened collaboration among stakeholders in addressing water and sanitation issues, including establishing linkages between local communities and local government

REPORTS AND RELATED DOCUMENTS