24x7 Water Supply in Punjab

Community Water Plus, a research project, has investigated twenty case studies of successful community managed rural water supply programmes across 17 states in India. Through these case studies, the research has gained insight into the type and amount of support to community organisations that is needed, and the resources implications of this 'plus' – in terms of money, staffing, and other factors. In this document we capture the inputs that contributed in improving water supply to households and an assessment of cost approximation by the Punjab Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (PRWSS) Project in Punjab.

Even though Punjab is one of the most prosperous states of India, household piped water supply in rural areas is barely 35%. The World Bank funded Punjab Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (PRWSS) Project, executed by the Department of Water Supply and Sanitation (DWSS), is making drastic changes. Service levels have improved markedly, with communities taking full ownership and responsibility.

This case study presents the way in which DWSS transformed from an engineering body focused on building infrastructure to one committed to delivering good water supply services, and provides evidence on services from 4 villages.