Traditionally human settlement have been guided by location of Water Resources. While earlier human choose to live by the side of Water (Source)...

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Traditionally human settlement have been guided by location of Water Resources. While earlier human choose to live by the side of Water (Source), over the time we are using Engineering and Scientific Excellence to bring water by the side of Human Habitations. The question is do we really require this as a solution? As I understand we have two choices at two ends of a continuum. Concepts like River Grid and SCADA that depends on higher Technical Expertise and promotes centrality of operation. But essentially cover larger area and population. The other concept is based on localized withdrawal and supply of Water through installation of Treated Water Kiosks and Water ATMs. Personally, I look at the Second options as future of Safe and Secure Water Supply. Community based Water Kiosks supplying measured quantity of Water to every household in a Urban Society or in a small Rural Hamlet along with a provision of Recharge and Rain Water Harvesting would essentially evolve as the most effective mechanism of Sustainable Water Supply. Thanks to Technical Developments, we now have options to monitor Water level and quality in every bore and customized rejuvenation is possible. This gives us opportunity to manage things locally with a Decentralized architecture. And if that is the case, I think we as a country should moderate our journey actively promoting and spending more on Localized Water treatment plants and Water Sales facilities, minimizing investment on large Scale multi village and multi District Water transportation and supply facilities. As a model this is expected to drive membership and revenue generation with more effective operation ,maintenance and monitoring by local people and User Groups. These kiosks shall promote Water as a commodity and not as a common good. Treating Water as an Economic Good would help formation of producer or consumer Cooperative Institution. Formation of such Institution at Various level would ensure Peaceful and Sustainable Coexistence of Human Civilization. Choosing such a model over present practices would be in the Best interest of the country. Looking Forward to hear from you over this 'Bigger is Better' Vs. 'Small is Beautiful' dibet. -- Warm Regards Kallol Saha Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Management Institute of Rural Management Anand , Gujarat ,India Master of Science, Applied Geology Department of Geological Sciences Research Fellow,Water Resource Engineering Jadavpur University, Kolkata , India Director-2 & State Coordinator (Hydro Geology) Program Management Unit, State Water and Sanitation Mission Drinking Water & Sanitation Department Government of Jharkhand, Jharkhand, India Visiting Faculty, Cooperative Management Xavier Institute of Social Service, Ranchi, India Address: Flat No. 2 D ,Block B,Jayashree Green City Pundag Road, Near Argora Chowk , Ranchi Jharkhand , India- 834002 Contact: Mobile: +919471710631 E-Mail:kallosh74@gmail.com Website:http://about.me/KallolSaha LinkedIn:https://in.linkedin.com/in/kallol-saha-a392b87

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  1. Kallol - This is very interesting. We see the trends in decentralized production occurring in a wide number of industry areas. Water, and the corresponding sanitation, will be no different. As a delivery/production method it makes all the sense in the world.
    It gets a little tricky when you begin to position the water as an economic good. For a commodity that is essential for life and one with no known substitute, you get into a whole host of equality issues when demanding payment. Most of the decentralized systems would be deployed in rural areas (or they would otherwise be on a central system) serving a (likely) disadvantaged population base. A business model that relies upon receiving a portion of the already limited funds from this group may be tough.
    There are some strategies that couple basic services with other uses (economic development centers, etc.) that may make the business model for a rural decentralized "water atm" system more viable. In any case, it's interesting stuff! Keep up the good work.
    Brad