Page 82 - HUDCO Award for Best Practices - 2024

THEME: URBAN GOVERNANCE

• Since all water is being collected from KWA vending points, it provided additional revenue to KWA and prompt payment was
ensured on a weekly basis.

• As no payment credit was involved in the entire system, the operators who had problems in collecting payment from customers
on time earlier, were hugely benefited. The corporation ensured that the payments reached them on time.

• The cost of service was regulated thereby preventing exploitation of customers by the operators during periods of high-water
scarcity.

• The district administration, KWA, Corporation and related departments had to do additional planning and implementation of
water tanker-based delivery to consumers when major events like pipe burst or drought happened. Now this system takes care of
the additional load which comes up during such periods.

SUSTAINABILITY

The system operates on funds which it generates itself via the service charge collected per trip from the public. As the operating costs
are less than the total revenue and as it does not depend on any outside funds to operate, the system is economically sustainable.
The truck operators were charging hefty rates for the service before introduction of the system from the public. As there was no
alternative, they had to succumb to the pressure put on by the truck operators to obtain the service. They made sure that the customer
was put in pressure by delaying the service. Now the rates are pre-published and customers can book for service online and make
payment directly to the corporation via online modes. Since there is no cash transaction between operators and customers there is
no friction in the field. Since the public perceives the system as a boon to them and recognizes its value, it is socially sustainable.
The corporation was struggling with the problem caused by supply of contaminated water by trucks to households and businesses.
There were regular complaints regarding such events and public health was being affected. Enforcement squads of the corporation
had to spend lots of man hours patrolling the city to detect and book violators. Since implementation of the system, the general
public became aware of the benefits of using this service and thereby any player outside the network who illegally operated stopped
getting any order. Also, the system is backed up legally using a bye law which the corporations council has passed. So, the system is
institutionally sustainable as the top officials and political administrative heads are seeing the benefits of the system. The primary
objective of the system is to supply quality water to households and businesses and based on the data we have; it is clear that it has
met the objective clearly. The system is very popular with the residents of Thiruvananthapuram corporation and with the businesses
like restaurants and hotels operating here. The perspective of the general public has changed and they understand that quality water
can be obtained via this service and that any other private player supplying water to them may be taking water from unsafe sources.
So culturally and environmentally the system is sustainable and has empowered the people to act up on a huge social problem.

TRANSFERABILITY

The system is handling the water supply service perfectly in the corporation and all scenarios which arose during its operation have
been handled easily. The system can be replicated to any corporation or municipality which is facing challenges similar to that of
Thiruvananthapuram. Govt. of Kerala has identified the project as having a major impact on solving the septage problem and has
mooted a proposal to replicate the system all over Kerala to monitor taker-based water supply.

LESSONS LEARNED

The primary motivation behind the implementation of the system is the responsibility that the corporation has over public health.
As per the constitution of India, the local bodies are entrusted with the responsibility of providing clean drinking water to the
community. The corporation took its role very seriously and was having various discussions and consultations with experts from
various domains to prevent the issue of supplying contaminated water to takers. We traced certain public health issues in certain areas
in the corporation to the supply of contaminated water in tankers taken from unsafe sources. So, it was of paramount importance to
the corporation to find a solution to the problem.

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