Context/Introduction:
Climate change has intensified the gap between water demand and availability, making access to water for domestic and productive purposes increasingly uncertain. The farming systems are under stress from erratic rainfall, declining water resources, limited market access, and inadequate technological support, constraining livelihood opportunities and resource management. At the same time, inadequate water, sanitation, and hygiene services, coupled with environmental degradation and water quality concerns, continue to pose risks to public health and well-being.
These challenges are further increased by social inequities, with women, youth, and marginalized groups often excluded from decision-making processes and equitable access to resources and opportunities. Weak local governance institutions limit citizen participation, equitable water management, and the mobilization of public resources for sustainable development. To address, Gram Vikas has structured its development approach around four interconnected pillars: Sustainability, Prosperity, Safety, and Equity & Resilience. These pillars aim to strengthen community stewardship of natural resources, promote climate-resilient livelihoods, ensure access to safe water and sanitation, and enhance inclusive governance and social protection systems.
To expand this vision, Gram Vikas anchors the Network for Water Secure Gram Panchayats (NWSGP), a collaborative platform that enables the scaling of Water Secure Gram Panchayat (WSGP) initiatives through partnerships with grassroots organizations. The network promotes decentralized implementation, shared learning, and strategic convergence around water security, governance, and climate resilience, while supporting community-designed, community-led development processes.
Through partner-led implementation, the WSGP programme strengthens local institutional mechanisms for community ownership and governance, facilitates convergence with government schemes to address community priorities, and promotes evidence-based planning through Water Passbooks and Water Security Plans. The programme contributes to improved management of natural resources, enhanced water availability for domestic and productive uses, increased tree cover across village landscapes, reduced resource wastage through the use of weather information and crop advisories, and the establishment of mechanisms to ensure safe drinking water access and water quality management for all households.
Network Major Update:
Adoption of Gram Swabhiman Approach:
Gram Swabhiman is a community engagement practice propounded by Goonj, which Gram Vikas has adopted within its community mobilisation processes under the Water Secure Gram Panchayat (WSGP) programme. The approach is grounded in the belief that rural communities possess inherent strengths, knowledge systems, and resources, and that development should begin by recognising and building upon these capacities. Building on this principle of recognising community strengths and fostering a sense of dignity and ownership, Gram Vikas has further integrated Gram Swabhiman as an entry point for initiating community mobilisation under the WSGP programme.
In order to scale the idea of Gram Swabhiman, Gram Vikas has replicated the approach through partner organisations, using the Gram Swabhiman tool as an initial step for mobilising communities in WSGP intervention areas. The experience has demonstrated that initiating conversations around swabhiman (self-respect and dignity) creates a meaningful space for communities to reflect on their own strengths, resources, and aspirations. Thus, Gram Swabhiman serves not only as a mobilisation tool but also as a foundation for strengthening community ownership and participation in the broader WSGP process.
Building Community Institutions:
To expand the Water Secure Gram Panchayat (WSGP) approach across Odisha and Jharkhand, Gram Vikas established the Network for the Water Secure Gram Panchayat, bringing together multiple grassroots organisations through a collaborative and decentralised implementation model. In Odisha, seven partner organisations have joined the network and adopted common planning processes, baseline methodologies, water-source inventory tools, and community mobilisation approaches. This shared framework has enabled partners to independently implement the WSGP model while adapting it to their local contexts.
Within six months, the network has extended WSGP interventions to 397 habitations across 21 Gram Panchayats in five districts Kandhamal, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Bolangir, and Mayurbhanj covering 208 revenue villages and a population of approximately 97,778. The experience demonstrates the potential of decentralised partnerships to scale the WSGP approach across diverse geographies. Strengthened community institutions are supporting participatory planning, local resource management, and collective action, contributing to improved water security and more sustainable rural development at the village level.
Water Passbook:
In all organizations, PAHADA, AMAGAON, KZSVS, Samajik Seva Sadan and SEWA the Water Passbook has been completed in each one gram panchayat and the VDCs have been formed and are functioning slowly.
The process of Water Site Inventory (WSI) assessment and aquifer mapping is being initiated at the habitation level to strengthen community understanding of groundwater resources and support partner organisations in preparing and implementing the Water Passbook. The process is intended to help communities understand the availability, use, and management of groundwater and encourage informed planning for long-term water security.
Community engagement in WSI and aquifer mapping:
Initial meetings were conducted at the habitation level to introduce the WSI survey and aquifer mapping process. Through repeated interactions and discussions, community members gradually develop an understanding of the purpose and relevance of the exercise. They recognized that the process would help them understand the availability of groundwater in their area and provide a basis for planning and managing this resource more effectively.
VPRP: Community Demand Collection and Prioritisation:
Despite the presence of several CBOs in the villages, community members are gradually recognizing and appreciating the importance of the village development committee at both partner operation areas. As people say, only 2 times have they organised the VDC meeting for the discussion of a common agenda.
As we discussed, the demands are being identified and documented at the SHG and community levels, covering both individual and collective needs at all organisations. These demands have been prioritized at the panchayat level with the active participation of GPCC members. The organizations are actively encouraging GPCC members to take the lead in preparing for the Convergence Mela. In all the organisation women representatives have shown an understanding of the water security programme comparable to that of the men in the village. Currently PAHAD, KZSVS and AMAGAM have completed the convergence mela in three panchayats, at the same time other 4 partners are under preparation for Mela.
Integration of WSGP opportunities:
The partner organisation has significant opportunities to integrate the WSGP programme into its ongoing field interventions, A clear understanding of the Water Passbook and its practical application would provide a strong foundation for integrating water security planning with existing livelihood initiatives. The process can also be linked with the work of Farmer Producer Groups (FPGs) enabling them to incorporate water availability and management considerations into livelihood planning and future interventions.
Overall, the WSI and aquifer mapping process is emerging as an important foundation for strengthening community-led water security planning. The Water Passbook can serve as a practical tool for connecting water resource management with livelihoods, institutional planning, and convergence with existing programmes and government initiatives.
Network Road map:
At the same time building consensus around the NWSGP approach as a collaborative, scalable, and sustainable network model. The urge of documenting good practices, innovations, and traditional knowledge of partners has been felt and incorporating indigenous water management practices into planning. In order to sustain the Network need to integrate Water Passbooks with existing programmes and include seasonal planning and crop advisories. To expand the network, document innovations, publish learning, and encourage peer knowledge exchange and bring collective understanding of Network road map.
Key Learning:
The Water Secure Gram Panchayat(WSGP) programme by design is very important and significant looking at the current climate situation in India and especially Odisha. By implementing the WSGP programme partners have also acknowledged lots of experiences and learnings.
- Community ownership is the foundation of water security: The adoption of the Gram Swabhiman approach demonstrates that mobilisation is more effective when it begins by recognising community strengths, dignity, knowledge, and aspirations. This creates a stronger basis for participation and collective ownership of water security initiatives.
- Water Passbooks have potential beyond documentation: The experience indicates that the Water Passbook can become a practical planning instrument that connects groundwater understanding with crop planning, livelihoods, seasonal decision-making, and convergence with government programmes. Its effectiveness, however, depends on communities and institutions regularly using and updating it.
- Convergence is stronger when community priorities are clearly articulated: The VPRP process demonstrates that systematic identification and prioritisation of demands at SHG, community, and Gram Panchayat levels can create a stronger basis for engagement with government schemes. The Convergence Mela provides an important platform for connecting these community priorities with available public resources.
- Institutional convergence needs to move from one-time events to sustained processes: Convergence Melas and government linkages are useful entry points, but long-term impact requires continued follow-up with Panchayati Raj Institutions, community institutions, line departments, and livelihood platforms to ensure that identified priorities translate into actual investments and services.