Fostering community-led water resource management and gender equity

The Water Secure Gram Panchayat (WSGP) programme, initiated by Gram Vikas in 2021, targets comprehensive community-led water resource management and sustainable, gender-equitable development in rural communities. Addressing challenges like water scarcity, climate change, and insufficient community capabilities, WSGP integrates various domains such as village institutions, water, sanitation, health, livelihoods, and technology. The program’s multi-dimensional approach fosters collaboration between citizens and local governments, empowers women in decision-making, and utilises technology for natural resource productivity. With a goal to cover 1000 Gram Panchayats in Odisha and Jharkhand by 2030, WSGP focuses on four key components: Equity and Resilience, Sustainability, Safety, and Prosperity. These components aim to achieve significant outcomes like effective village-level development interventions, increased economic status of marginalised households, improved health and nutrition, and enhanced livelihood opportunities through smart resource management. As of March 2023, WSGP is operational in 71 Gram Panchayats distributed over nine districts in Odisha and one district in Jharkhand.