The proposed Plan will be on the basis of the revised National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP) Guidelines 2009-2012 issued by Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission, Department of Drinking Water Supply. The focus would be on development of 'village security plan' .It also includes village safety plan before taking up planning & installation of water supply system to ensure provision of safe and adequate water supply to each rural household at a convenient location on a sustainability basis. The Gram Panchayat (GP), Village Water Supply Committee (VWSC) and the field staff of State Rural Water Supply Department would be enabled to prepare the Village Water Supply Plan (VWSP) as per the new guideline and as per the existing institutional set up in the States.

It is proposed to identify a “Jal Surakshak” for Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance at the household level and at the habitation level .The person would preferably be a women from VWSC elected at Gram Sabha under the control of GP and paid appropriately on job basis for data collection for the specified activities. Water Quality Testing Laboratory with computer facilities (fund for the same is provided in the new guideline) are proposed to be in place at the Sub-Division (PHED) Level for testing of all the village-wise drinking water sources (chemical and bacteriological) from where the house holds collects water. The proposal also envisages that GPS instruments would be procured for identification of water resources in the villages for development of village water resource maps. The Jal Surakshak would also collect water and sanitation related data from NRHM so that sanitary inspection can be carried out for identification of source of contamination and take remedial measures.

Household and village data analyzed at the sub-division level along with data from NRHM will enable VWSC under the technical guidance of field staff of PHED to prepare village water security plan which includes water safety plan which is basically identification for source of contamination (hazard analysis) and take corrective measures for the existing water supply system both for safe and unsafe sources including government and or private water supply system. Based on the village water security plan the action plan for planning of new/augmentation of the water supply scheme is to be prepared in consultation with all stake holders.

The concept of having the local women as the Jal Surakshak is based on the premise that it is the women who generally manage domestic water, and an essential ingredient of community participation is to improve women's involvement in the democratic decision-making process. Since women are the principal beneficiaries of this program and are pivot around which sustainability is evolved, it is of critical importance that women are involved at all the stages of planning, implementation and management of rural water supply schemes. Women's associations could provide a strong framework for community participation. Prominent women from the habitation should be represented in the Village Water & Sanitation Committees/ Pani Samitis.For the community to function as an organization it is important to make Village Water and Sanitation Committee (whose members should be elected in Gram Sabha) fully functional and effective VWSC should be made a standing committee of the Gram Panchayat.

The planning process takes into account the fact that the women should play a pivotal role and the Community should develop its own village water security plan taking into consideration the present water availability, reliability and its different usage and equity based on experience and wisdom.