Building Resilience through Community-led Water Security and Safety Initiative in Ganjam District of Odisha
The project ‘Building Resilience through Community-led Water Security and Safety Initiative in Ganjam District of Odisha’ is being implemented in seven Gram Panchayats covering 11,500 households. Communities face growing challenges due to unreliable water sources, declining water quality, and poor sanitation conditions. Rainfed agriculture, changing rainfall patterns, and fragile natural ecosystems have increased vulnerability and livelihood risks. The project aims to strengthen community-led water management and build long-term water security, health, and resilience.
The project aims to strengthen community-led systems for sustainable water resource management to ensure safe water access, improve sanitation and health, and enhance livelihood resilience for rural households.
REACH
11,500 households, 166 villages
REGION
Ganjam district in Odisha
PROJECT STATUS
Ongoing
TIMELINE
September 2025 to August 2028
BUDGET
₹8.02 crore
PARTNERS
Sir Ratan Tata Trust
ACTIVITIES
- Conduct hydrogeological assessment, aquifer mapping, and preparation of Water Security Plans in 166 habitations to enable scientific and sustainable water resource management.
- Implement watershed and springshed treatment measures, including soil and moisture conservation and treatment of 1,060 acres of land, along with afforestation and plantation activities to improve water recharge and ecological sustainability.
- Establish and strengthen Village Development Committees (VDCs) and Gram Panchayat Coordination Committees (GPCCs) to manage water resources, sanitation systems, and village development planning.
- Develop and maintain Water Source Inventory, Water Passbooks, and GIS-based water resource monitoring systems to support community-led water management and decision-making.
- Improve access to safe drinking water by strengthening piped water supply systems, expanding water infrastructure, and ensuring water quality monitoring in all habitations.
- Promote sanitation, hygiene, and environmental health through improved household sanitation infrastructure, safe wastewater management, and behaviour change initiatives.
- Establish backyard nutrition gardens in 7,000 households using greywater to improve household nutrition and water reuse.
- Build capacities of community members, especially women and youth, through training, leadership development, and technical skill-building for sustainable water and natural resource management.
- Develop and deploy Gram Vikas Saathi cadres, including Jal Bandhu, Poshan Mitra, Gram Yojana Saathi, and Village Lekha Mitra, to provide technical, managerial, and institutional support at the village level.
- Facilitate convergence with government schemes and departments to mobilize financial resources, strengthen local governance, and ensure long-term sustainability of water, sanitation, and livelihood interventions.