Some of the strategies which have the potential to be supported and implemented have been listed below:
- Promote eco-friendly low cost technologies to conserve water such as green technologies for drinking water, eco-friendly sanitation system, use of solar energy, rain water harvesting mechanisms etc;
- Promote skills training in repair and maintenance of water technologies; communities, civil society, technology providers can form social enterprise for delivery of water services;
- Promote conservation of water resources to enhance percolation of rainwater, groundwater recharge, sub-surface moisture on farmland, and availability of drinking water for domestic use and for cattle;
- Promote most promising agricultural water management technologies and use of NRM practices such as diversified crops, improved seed varieties, planned water distribution systems, soil conservation etc., to economise the water resources;
- Foster optimum efficiency in utilisation of water for all diverse purposes and create awareness of water as a scare resource;
- Promote conservation consciousness through awareness, regulation, incentives and disincentives;
- Build capacity of village development committees / water-user committees / village health and sanitation committees and link their work to the village panchayats (PRI) aiming to achieve self-governance and enhanced access to entitlements from government schemes (MGNREGS, drinking water programmes, total sanitation programmes, and other).
Women have primary responsibility for management of household water supply, sanitation and health. Because of their dependence on water resources, women have accumulated considerable knowledge about water resources, including location, quality and storage methods. Therefore, women centered actions should be promoted, involving women actively in the solution finding to water issues.
In line with the Constitution (73rd Amendment) Act of 1992 the Panchayati Raj Institutions at the Village, Intermediate and the District levels as well as Municipalities constitute the backbone of local governance and any action must relate to their functions and involve them actively the PRIs.
The intervention should focus on processes such as mainstreaming with government schemes. As an overarching principle, they should support and strengthen services which are either explicitly complementary to or integrated into relevant government schemes and services. Innovative ideas in leveraging the government schemes will be an additional asset.
