National Rural Drinking Water Programme

National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) is a centrally-sponsored scheme that was launched in 2009. As the water crisis is a known issue, learning about NRDWP is important. The Government of India launched the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP) in April 2009 by modifying the Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) and subsuming earlier sub-missions/schemes.

Learn about National Rural Drinking Water Programme for UPSC 2022 in this article.

Get the list of important government schemes for UPSC revision in the linked post.

The candidates can read more related information from the links given below:

National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP)

• With a major emphasis on ensuring the sustainability of water availability in terms of adequacy, affordability, portability, convenience and equity, the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP), a centrally sponsored scheme was launched in 2009.
• The NRDWP guidelines were further updated in 2013 with focus on piped water supply, increasing household tap connections and raising drinking water supply norms.
• Restructuring the programme would ensure better monitoring with a greater focus on the sustainability of the scheme itself to make sure that the rural population is provided with good quality service delivery.
• It made the programme competitive, flexible, result-oriented and competitive.
• It also enabled the Ministry to work towards reaching the goal of increasing coverage of sustainable Piped Water Supply.
• It focussed be on piped water supply, increase the level of service delivery, thrust on coverage of water quality affected habitations, coverage of Open Defecation Free (ODF) declared villages, ‎Integrated Action Plan (IAP) districts, ‎Border Out Posts (BOP) with a piped water supply and ‎Institutional set up for proper operation and maintenance of water supply assets etc.
• It aims at reaching the goal of increasing coverage of sustainable piped water supply in the country.
• The programme ran co-terminus with the 14^th Finance commission until March 2020.

Funding of NRDWP

• NRDWP is implemented as a Centrally Sponsored Scheme with costs being shared between the Central and State Governments.
• The cost incurred on implementing the programme is decided to be shared between the Centre and the States in the ratio of 50:50.
• The Union Cabinet recently approved the restructuring and continuation of the programme.

Objectives of NRDWP

• The NRDWP is one of the six components of Bharat Nirman aiming to provide basic amenities to rural India.
• NRDWP envisages a progressive improvement in service levels with a gradual improvement from unprotected sources to wells to Hand wells to Household connections.
• The objectives of the Programme is to provide safe and adequate water for drinking, cooking and other domestic needs to every rural person on a sustainable basis.
• The primary objective of NRDWP is to provide every rural person with adequate safe water on a sustainable basis, for basic domestic needs such as cooking, drinking.
• Under the programme, water was supplied with a minimum quality standard, which is conveniently accessible at all times and in all situations.
• The programme seeks to ensure permanent drinking water security in rural India.
• It also aims to improve water quality by developing the capability of preliminary water testing at the gram panchayat level.

Components of the NRDWP

To meet the emerging challenges in the rural drinking water sector relating to NRDWP availability, sustainability and quality, the components under the programme on which all funds, except the earmarked 5% Water Quality and 2% Natural Calamities fund, will be utilised are as follows:

1. COVERAGE for providing safe and adequate drinking water supply to unserved, partially served and slipped back habitations,
2. SUSTAINABILITY to encourage States to achieve drinking water security at the local level,
3. Provide potable drinking water to water QUALITY affected habitations
4. OPERATION & MAINTENANCE (O&M) for expenditure on running, repair and replacement costs of drinking water supply projects,
5. Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance (WQMS), and
6. SUPPORT activities.

Target of NRDWP

• By 2022,
  • Ensure that at least 90% of rural households are provided with piped water supply;
  • At least 80% of rural households have piped water supply with a household connection;
  • Less than 10% use public taps and less than 10% use handpumps or other safe and adequate private water sources.
  • Provide enabling support and environment for all Panchayat Raj Institutions and local communities to manage 100% of rural drinking water sources and systems.

UPSC Preparation Links: