Amendment status not verified — confirm the current text below against the official source.
(1) The Village Water and Sanitation Committee (WVSC) constituted under Jal Jeevan Mission programme shall contrnue to function as such. lt shall carry out the various functions envisaged under the Act under its domain and shallwherever needed recommend to the Districl level Board through the Executive Committee on matters connected with the drinking water catchment areas and their protection. (2) The Committee constitution shall be as follows:- (a) lt shall consist of 10-15 members, comprising of elected members of Panchayat up to 25% of the composition out of which, 50% shall be women; and remaining 25olo shall consist of Gaon Eurahs or Senior members or Literate members or Government retirees, to be decided by the Gram Sabha. For proper and effective functioning and management of \A /SC, the Gram Sabha may co-opt the headmaster or a teacher of the nearest school and the Junior Engineer of PHE&WSD as members of VWSC. Ordinarily, the tenure of sub-committee shall be for 3 years and Gram Sabha will have option to reconstitute or renew the suFcommittee with approval of 80% of the households in the village. (b) Land owner/Donor shall be ex-officio memberof the VWSC. (c) TheChairmanof he Committee muld betheChairman of Gram Panchayat or any elder in the village chosen by the Gram Sabha. (d) The Member Secretary of the Committee shall beselected by the Members of the VWSC. '10. (1) The functions of the vwsc sha[ be to : (a) ldentify and recommend the catchment area to the District Drinking Water CatchmentArea Protection Board through the Executive Committee. (b) Preserve, conserve and protect the drinking water catchment areas, springs, streams, rivulets, lakes, glaciers and water sources through various water harvesting inteNentaon and prohibiting felling of trees. (c) Recommend appropriate melhod of management of catchment areas vis-a-vis the activities customarily practiced in such areas to the District Board through the Executive Committee; (d) Be the custodien of the water sources. (e) Traditional practrces for e.g captivating mithuns for a particular period in a limlted area that may be detrimental for water resource shall be identified by the Village Waterand Sanitation Committee (VWSC). The VWSC shall bring behavioEt changes by influencing the community practices and shall promote sustainable way of water resource management. The department under whose jurisdiction the catchment area talls may take necessary measures to initiate action and report it in public domain. (0 Maintain status of water sources with yearly records of d jscharge of res@ive sources wih support from conce,ned PHE DMsion. (g) lnitiate proposals for catchment area protection works where the source deplelion is alarming or considerable and recommend the same to the District Executive Committee. (h) To assess whether any polluton is being caused in the upper reaches of its water sources by villages located if any in the upstream side of the sources, ln such cases, the matter shall be taken up with the other VWSC's invofued for amicable solution or shall be reported to the local administration for appropriate dtsposition of the matter (i) To provide input to the Executive Committee in preparation of the Master Plan. (2) The VWSC shall meet as often as may be necessary but not less than 4 times in a year. Constrtution of Village Water and Sanitation Commitee (\ A'SC). Functions of the Village Waterand Sanitatlon Committee (\ /vsc). 6 The Arunachal Pradesh Extraordinary Gazette, Aprt 28,2023 Declaration of an area as drinkhg water catchment are€. 11 (1) (a) The protected spring catchment area should ideally have a minimum size of 100 meters wide by 300 meteG long area but this can vary according to local conditions. (b) For rural areas : For stream or river water intake, an area of 50 mtrs. wide on both banks of the stream or river should be fully protected upstream from the intake point. An additional strip of 50 to100 meters wide can only be used for farming thatdoes not involve bigger tree felling or soil tilling or the use of chemicals. The hngth of protected banks up6tream of he water intake should generally be not less than 500 meter, depending on local conditions. However, greater the area better it would be for conservation of water soiirces. (c) Forsbmiulban aroas : ln mountainous tenains, the earmarked area of wator Ehed for protection should generally be minimum of 100 mtrs. wide on each sides of the stream or river bank. The length should depend upon size of user and source or not less than 1000 mtrs. in lengh to get meaningful conservalion. However, greater the area better it would be for conservation of water sources. (d) For urban areas : ln mountainous terrains, the earmarked area ofwatershed for protection should cover from the ridge line or a minimum of 300 mtrs. wide on each side of the stream or river bank. The length should depend upon size of user and source or not less than 2000 mtrs. in length to get meaningful conservation. However, greater the area better it would be for conservation of water sources. Provided that, the.State Government by subsequent notification shall declare to be a catchment area for a specific streams or rivers as may be deemed expedient. (2) A drinking water catchment area to be either critical, sub-critical or non-critical catchment area is to be decided by the district board. The criteria for declaring as critical, sub- critacal or non-criti€l shall be governed by following yardsticks: - (a) From the lean period (dry months of say January - February) discharge of the sources of minimum 3 years, if the trend of reduction/ drying of sources indicates a situation wherein the availability of water is either already less than the drinking water requirement or is likely to become lesser in another 5 years, the source could be declared as ctitical. (b) From the lean period dischargeof the sources of minimum 3 years, if it indicates a trend of reduction or drying of sources wherein the availability of water is likely to become lesser than the water requirement in another 5-30 years, the source could be declared as sub-critical. (c) From the lean period dischargeof the sources of minimum 3 years, if it indicates a trend of reductton or drying of sources wherein the availability of water is likely to become lesser than the water requirement after 30 years, the source could be declared as non- critical. (3) However, the declaration of an area as drinking water catchment area has to be made by the administative heads of the iurisdiction of the catchment area. lt could be either the DC/ADC/SDO/EAC/CO. ('1) On the declaration of an area as drinking water catchment area under section 11, the Government shall have the power to take such measures as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of protecting the catchment area. (2) ln particular and without Prejudice to the generality ot the provisions of sub-section (1) such measures may include all or any of the following matters, namely- (a) Planting or advising the planting of trees and taking up of other steps to regenerate the forests; (b) Testing ofthe soil samples; (c) ln the case ofa notifed catchment area, prohibiting therein within periphery shall apply thereof- (i) The felling of trees, destruction or clearance of grooves, bushes or any vegetative cover; Measuresfor 12 protection of Drinking water catchment areas. The Arunachal Pradesh Extraordinary Gazette, April 28, 2023 (ii) Jhummlng or cultivation or use of any insecticide or pesticide or any harmfulchemicals. (iii) Quarrying of sand or stone. (iv) Excavation of earth. (v) Open Defecation along the water bodies. (vi) Sewer outlets, disposal of solid waste. (vii) The carrying out of any activity which in the opinion is likely to damage the springs, streams, rivulets, lakes, glaciers or water sources in the area. (3) ln case of any unavoidable project of Slate or National interest covenng a portlon or fu ll part of notifed catchment area, the exemptlorvlimitation of this Act shall be sanctioned by the State Government.