Sanitation

The goal of safe and affordable drinking water and sanitation has not yet been achieved. The current practices of water purification are inadequate to produce secured water supply. Maintaining health protection at water supply systems has become more challenging with resistance of some pathogens to disinfection using chlorination and an increase in the immuno-compromised population (e.g., people with HIV, organ transplant patients, the elderly).

In this context, it has become essential to develop various tools such as Composite Correction Programme (CCP) and Water Safety Plans (WSP) to improve water purification and distribution systems, to achieve the goal of providing safe drinking water.

The quality of drinking water is a vital element of public health and well-being. The most effective means of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking-water supply is through the use of a comprehensive risk assessment and risk management approach that encompasses all steps in water supply from catchment to consumer.

WHO guidelines on water quality term these approaches as water safety plans (WSPs), developed to organize, systematize and apply management practices in drinking-water quality.

This report by the Water and Sanitation Program (WSP) of the World Bank presents the findings of the baseline and community survey conducted in two districts of Madhya Pradesh (MP) - Dhar and Khargone. The goal of the program is to reduce the risk of diarrhea and therefore increase household productivity by stimulating demand for sanitation in the lives of people. The program also seeks to stimulate the supply of appropriate sanitation program and services by conducting market research and training local artisans to build the relevant facilities.

In India, the program is supporting the Government of India’s (GoI) Total Sanitation Campaign (TSC) in two States: Himachal Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The main components of the intervention include: Community-Led Total Sanitation (CLTS), Social Marketing of Sanitation, Strengthening the Enabling Environment and Nirmal Gram Puraskar (NGP) Awards.

This presentation prepared by the founders of Parivartan, a Kanpur based NGO, deals with the organisation's efforts to improve the sanitation system of the town by involving local citizenry.

Captain SC Tripathi, the founder of Parivartan explains that his organisation is based on a 'collective' model where in all aspects from ideation to implementation is a collective effort. This model seemed appropriate considering the different problems that Kanpur was facing ranging from sanitation issues to drainage, power outages etc. Added to this was political and official apathy, indifference and cynicism of citizenry.{C}

This study provides interventions to solving the sanitation crisis in the holy town of Pandharpur, situated on the banks of the Chandrabagha/Bhima river, in the state of Maharashtra, which receives more than 1.5 crore devotees annually. On any given day there are approximately 20,000 pilgrims in this Class B town. This vast floating population creates massive sanitation problems leading to environmental and hygiene issues.  The study forms part of the Maharashtra State Pollution Control Board's 'Environmental Improvement Programme at Religious Places in Maharashtra' project.

• Access and behavioral outcome indicators for water, sanitation, and hygiene by USAID Hygiene Improvement Project
  The document highlights the evidence that has accumulated based on the reliable assessment and validation of hygiene practices – practices that are critical for the prevention of diarrheal diseases and the reduction of child morbidity and mortality.

Supported by: ARGHYAM

The India WASH Forum newsletter for January 2011. It is an open platform for engagement on contemporary issues, for an independent credible voice in the water, sanitation and hygiene sector.

• Recommendations on water and sanitation services to urban poor
  The group came up with a list of prioritised issues that need immediate attention if the urban poor were to be provided with sustainable and equitable water and sanitation services.
   
• Water resources are under stress of depletion as well as denial of access for the poor
  Drinking water needs are met primarily from ground water. Except for the large metros that suck away water from rivers, most small towns in India depend on ground water supply.