Bhubaneswar: The housing and urban development department has prepared a rigorous guideline to improve service delivery, especially water supply and sanitation.
The department has decided to form ward-level committees - WatSan (water and sanitation) - with participation from local communities that will look after the needs of citizens and inform the government for steps.
WatSan will include the local councillor, respective sanitary inspector, a member each of the Public Health Engineering Organisation (Pheo) and electricity department, an ASHA worker and a representative of a local voluntary organisation.
The municipal commissioner will form and notify the committee that will mainly work in a decentralised manner and hold meetings with the community about their needs. The members will also hold fortnightly meetings to improve service delivery.
Besides, water monitors will be employed at each of the 67 wards to look after extending connections to households and collect water cess from existing consumers. The water monitors could be an individual or a voluntary organisation.
"Basic services such as water supply, solid waste and wastewater management, faecal sludge and septage management and access to toilets are our focus areas to improve quality of life in urban areas. Our ultimate target is universal coverage of water and sanitation services," the department notification states.
Pheo and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will remain the two major stakeholders in implementing the guideline here. "We have got the guideline and will convene a meeting of our officials for its implementation. I hope that it will come handy," said mayor Ananta Narayan Jena.
Pheo superintending engineer C.R. Jena said they would identify dry pockets and uncovered areas for extension of water supply connections. "We will make plans to ensure optimum use of water and stop wastage by identifying unauthorised connections," he said.
Bhubaneswar residents, however, asked for speedy implementation.
"They only make plans, but fail when it comes to implementation. This particular guideline sounds good and will, hopefully, yield results. The need is to make it happen," said Kharavela Nagar resident Pinaki Maharana.
