Project: Punjab Saaf Pani Project

Punjab Saaf Pani Company (PSPC), incorporated under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984, is a special initiative of the Government of Punjab (GoP) established with the mandate to develop, design, plan, execute and manage projects for providing safe drinking water solutions, prioritizing under-served areas, especially in rural, semi-rural, and pre-urban areas of the Punjab province. The province, with 98 million people, is the country’s most populous. Only 13 per cent people in rural areas have access to tap water, compared to 43 per cent of people in urban areas of Punjab, with Faisalabad being a high priority area. The PSPC’s bid to provide safe drinking water is characterized by its unique focus manifested in a strong community mobilization component along with engineering side of the water provision.

By virtue of an agreement formalized between the Punjab Saaf Pani Company (PSPC) and the Health and Rural Development Services (HRDS) Foundation in April 2015, HRDS foundation is obligated to act as PSPC community engagement partner for its Package 1 and provide a holistic package of services to PSPC for Community and Youth Engagement, Mobilization and Education Program for the regional cluster wise.

Progress of Package-1 includes the successful completion of the Step 1 of the recommended PSPC Five SM Steps in at least eighty seven (87) villages in the target districts, Step 2 in sixty four (64) villages, and step 3 in fifty three (53) villages. Step-4 of the agreed PRA activity, Android based house hold survey has also completed in one village.

The communities was positively disposed towards the team, and are willing to cooperate and even consider savings and paying tariffs to support O & M cost. Women are being duly engaged as can be seen in the associated pictures. Most of the villages visited had water supply issues and the group discussions were insightful in terms of findings regarding the scale of the problem.

It transpired that the communities were fetching water from far off places by foot, donkey or donkey carts, and motorcycle etc. Instances were seen where labor cost was paid for the carriage or payment was made for water e.g. Rs 20/can. The team also faced some resistance from some sections of the community in few locations however it was insignificant and is treated as the challenge of social mobilization. A large number of people had encouraging and positive attitude and the team recommended the next step based on the good prospects of cooperation.

On 31st of August 2015, as per the direction of Mr. Waseem Ajmal Choudhary, CEO, PSPC, the existing community mobilization activities were stopped and a cluster based approach was initiated,

Community mobilization teams from all the six districts of Faisalabad region were moved to Pattoki tehsil within 48 hrs initially for one month to pilot the cluster based community engagement & mobilization approach, This tehsil was divided into 11 clusters. All 11 clusters are divided in to 3 lots, 2 lost are consisting of 4 clusters and last and 3rd one is consist of 3 clusters. Names of Clusters are now LPK1 to LPK11.

By the end of September 2015 social mapping and village based android survey was completed in 188 villages of tehsil Pattoki. The mobilization team remained deputed in Pattoki till December 2015 to complete the formation for Saaf Pani Tanzeems at cluster level by selecting members from the cluster villages.187 SPTs have formed in 188 villages. The biggest cluster was LKP-10. In LKP-10 Saaf Pani Tanzeem had made the Saaf Pani Organization SPO for their selves, which was conducted through proper elections

After android survey of the villages in tehsil Patoki SPT formation process started as per agreed procedure by PSPC. The SPT formation process is based on four visits of target villages. The visits were encouraging as there was need, the community was positively disposed towards the team, and are willing to cooperate for the successful implementation of project. The team also faced some resistance from some sections of the community in few locations however it was insignificant and is treated as the challenge of social mobilization. During the reporting month a total of 187 SPTs and 11 SPOs are formed in target villages comprises of 660 member including 186 female members, executive committee of SPO still to form as the election policy yet not approved by PSPC. 296 sites have been identified and committed to transfer for Saaf

Pani Sahulat Centers in the villages of proposed 309 sites in 187 target villages. Land transfer process will complete in coming days, it is worth mention 2151 marla land is going to transfer for these Saaf Pani Sahulat Centres in target villages of tehsil Pattoki.

HRDSF Team will move forward in the reaming tehsil for the implementation of the project.

Posted by admin on Thursday, March 10th, 2016 @ 1:51PM
Categories: Event