Functions of the District Drinking Water Catchment Areas Protection Board

(1) The functions of the District Board shall be to : (a) Notify the catchment area on the recommendation of the Executive Committee and the Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSC); (b) Prepare the Master plan for Drinking Water Catchment Area Protection based on the input of VWSC and recommendation of the Executive Committee. The Master plan shall include:- (i) Delineation of the catchment area or the watershed for protection; (ii) Assessment of the area for the catchment protection or the watershed and the discharge of the water source: (iii) Outline the schemes for protection of the watershed area and the source; and (iv) The Master plan may provide for such matters as may be considered necessary for the protection of the watershed area and sustainable development of the catchment area. (c) Approve the Action plan of the Drinking Water Catchment Areas Protection prepared by the Executive Committee based on the input from the VWSC; (d) The land, other than Forest Reserves, protected Forest, Anchal Forest Reserve, Village Forest Reserve, Wild Life Sanctuaries, National Parks, Community Reserved Forest, Eco-sensitive Zone (ESZs) of Protected Areas and Unclassed Forest shall be donated voluntarily for conservation and development of drinking water catchment area protection but the land so donated shall not be used for any other purpose and no compensation shall be paid for such donated land. Provided that, in extreme circumstances, wherein the livelihood of an individual or community, as the case may be, is affected due to such earmarking and donation of land, the District Board may determine the compensation to be paid, which however, shall not be claimed as a matter of right. (e) For effective development of drinking water catchment area protection and donating of land for such purpose, the District drinking water catchment area protection Board shall carry out the following measures: (i) Organising of awareness programme in different level; (ii) Promotion of voluntary donation of land for protection of catchment area in the village; (iii) Introduction of award system, initially five best villages manually in a district. The best villages shall be selected based on the score card to be determined by the Board on the following:- (a) weightage on land donation including weightage on areas (measures in square meter) of land. (b) initiatives taken by the village(s) for upkeepment of forest in the catchment areas; (c) initiatives taken by village(s) on rain harvesting measures; (d) initiatives taken by the village(s) on any innovative application like combining eco-tourism and bio-diversity conservation with the water conservation to make the protection of catchment area sustainable. (e) The State Government shall for the aforesaid purpose make appropriate annual incentives and award per district and deposit it towards the District Drinking Water Catchment Area Protection Board. (f) Decide on such other matter connected with the improvement and augmentation of yield of drinking water from sources therein; (g) In matter involving issues pertaining to two or more VWSCs within the district, it shall give its decision. (2) The District Board shall meet as often as may be necessary but not less than thrice in a calendar year.