Project Summary

The families in Kutch district living below poverty line often lack safe, good quality drinking water. In Phase I of this project, Samerth provided drinking water facilities and reduced the salinity content of the lands of poor and marginalized communities. The project was cost effective, transparent, systematic and open to feedback and suggestions.

Phase II was planned to deepen these activities, so that the effectiveness of the water committees was increased in terms of parameters like water quality and water testing facilities. People should have access to water, but also to good quality water and water governance. The key objectives were to leverage water harvesting systems through the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), regenerate traditional water management and conservation systems, enable water committees to fix non-democratic, non-consultative decision-making processes, and address the inequitable distribution of available water.