A quarterly newsletter on water and sanitation in

Vol 1 Issue 3 Asia’s Cleanest Village and God’s Own Garden Mawlynnong in is a model that showcases how collective effort can help a village to position itself on the tourism map

Clean and green village awlynnong is located about Just before reaching the village, M90 km from the capital city of along the slope of the hill, in the East Khasi Hill district of Meghalaya. The village is not only PHED, Meghalaya, has Water flows from the source through clean and green but also a model of installed a water treatment a pipe to a sedimentation tank of 2.5 m sustainable environmental sanitation plant for ensuring safe drinking length, 1.2 m breadth and 1.5 m height. and drinking water. water, with a 24x7 zero energy From the sedimentation tank, after an Just before reaching the village, initial settling of impurities, water flows along the slope of the hill, PHED, water supply system to a slow sand filter tank of 4 m length Meghalaya, has installed a water and 2.5 m breadth. Through layers of treatment plant for ensuring safe stream, which is about 5.50 km from drinking water, with a 24x7 zero the village. The raw water is collected energy water supply system. In order by constructing an RCC weir across to ensure the supply of safe and potable the stream and then conveyed through Contents water supply to the habitations of a gravity main of 65 mm diameter GI Mawlynnong, a gravity-enabled water pipe for a distance of 5,570 m up to supply scheme was conceived by the treatment plant, installed in close tapping water from the Wahniriang proximity of the village. 4 CAMPAIGN: Success in Raichur, Karnataka

SPOTLIGHT: ODF Status Achieved in Mandi Gram Panchayats 6

7 INNOVATION: Punjab Villages go for 24x7 Metered Water Supply

INNOVATION: Strategy for Achieving Open Defecation Free Villages in Jharkhand 13

The tree house provides a view of the beautiful village 1 The onus to keep the village clean lies with every person consciousness of cleanliness among residing here. Locals cleaning roads, picking up leaves and villagers. Cleanliness is an age-old tradition and a way of life for them. A throwing garbage in the bin is a common sight. Bamboo waste bin made up of bamboo is kept garbage bins adorn every nook and corner of the village in front of houses for dropping waste. The vegetable waste is dumped in a pit sand and pebbles, water gets treated The village has 80 households, out of in each household for the production of and flows to the reservoir of 2 m length, which 29 HHs are below poverty line compost. For cleaning village roads and 2 m breadth and 1.7 m height to store (BPL) and the rest are above poverty for the collection of waste from dustbins 4,000 liters. From the reservoir water line (APL). Out of the total BPL HHs, from households, two men and five is supplied 24x7 to the village along 20 were provided an incentive of `1,500 women are engaged. A male cleaner is a natural hilly slope by gravitational and the rest had their own toilets. paid `200 per day and a female cleaner force, without consuming electricity, In 2007, an amount of `30,000 was is paid `120 per day. through 22 standposts, totally free of allocated for 20 HHs. For Mawlynnong cost. At the entry point of the village, a CNI UP schools, two units were tank of 1.5 x 1.5 x 1.5 m of 2,000 liters provided in 2009 at the cost of `40,000. is erected for the storage and supply For the Anganwadi Center, `5,000 was of an equitable amount of drinking allotted for a single-unit toilet. In 2010, water to all corners of the village. An the village received the Nirmal Gram amount of `43 lakh was sanctioned for Puraskar (NGP) award. The award the single village scheme with a design money of `50,000 was utilized for the of 40 lpcd. However, 70 lpcd is being various development initiatives of provided, as informed by the SDO. the village. Though household (HH) supply has The onus to keep the village clean not been provided, households draw a lies with every person residing here. line from standposts and pipes. PHED Locals cleaning roads, picking up has provided taps in the standposts, leaves and throwing garbage in the bin but the villagers do not have taps, is a common sight. Bamboo garbage thereby wasting water. This requires an bins adorn every nook and corner awareness generation campaign. of the village, which indicates the

Incentives are provided to households without toilets

2 Cleanliness is an age-old tradition and a way of life for the villagers

The village presently has two LPs A nominal fee of `20 is charged per (Nursery to Class IV), one Upper person for climbing the tree house. Primary (Class V to Class VIII) and Public toilets have been constructed one Anganwadi Center and all have for visitors, so that the environment is durable, clean toilets and drinking kept clean. The village also has a lodge water with tanks. for those who want to enjoy a stay in Since the receipt of the ‘Asia the village and trek around or conduct Cleanest Village Award’, tourists visit research activities. the village regularly. The villagers have The Soil Conservation Department fabricated two tree houses, on the top has constructed a check dam over a of the trees, with eco-friendly materials stream, which facilitates the villagers such as bamboo. This facilitates a to wash clothes and this can also be magnificent bird’s-eye view of the used for other domestic chores. beautiful and clean village and provides Just beside the village at Riwai, the a panoramic view of live root bridge of rubber (Jienkieng villages, which are a few miles away. JRI) over the river Wah Thyllong is an added attraction of this area. Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan is in progress in this Since the receipt of the ‘Asia Cleanest Village Award’, tourists village of 86 households with funding visit the village regularly. The villagers have fabricated two tree for twin pit durable toilets for 30 HHs. houses, on the top of the trees, with eco-friendly materials such Mawlynnong is a model to showcase as bamboo. This facilitates a magnificent bird’s-eye view of the how collective effort can elevate a beautiful and clean village and provides a panoramic view of village to position itself on the tourism Bangladesh villages, which are a few miles away. A nominal fee map by promoting eco-tourism. is charged for climbing the tree house. Public toilets have been Report: Dr. Tapan Kumar Das constructed for visitors, so that the environment is kept clean E-mail: [email protected]

3 Campaign l Reduces incidences of disease and worm infections: If school sanitation and hygiene facilities are School Sanitation and absent, or are badly maintained and used, schools can become a Hygiene Education Program health hazard. l Promotes environmental cleanliness: The presence and the for Child Health and proper use of facilities will prevent the pollution of the environment and limit health hazards for the community at Better Environment large. l Implements children’s rights: Success in Raichur, Karnataka Children have the right to be healthy and happy. Being clean, healthy and having clean water and proper sanitation facilities contribute to a chool Sanitation and Hygiene Benefits happy childhood. SEducation, popularly known l Promotes effective learning: as SSHE, is a comprehensive and Children perform better when they Objectives focused program intervention to function in a hygienic as well as The SSHE component has the following promote children’s right for a healthy clean environment. objectives being implemented in Raichur and clean environment, and to l Increases enrolment of girls: district: improve the health and hygiene status The lack of private sanitary facilities l To provide water and sanitation among children and the community. for girls can discourage parents facilities in the schools so that children SSHE offers several benefits to from sending girls to school and can use the facilities from an early age children, the community, and society contributes to the dropout rate of and they can thus also develop the at large. girls, particularly at puberty. hygienic habit of using such facilities.

SSHE offers several benefits to children, the community, and society at large

4 Proper sanitation facilities contribute to a happy childhood

l To promote the usage of toilets/ The Actors and Their Roles l Unhealthy and dirty classrooms and urinals among school students, hand The SSHE program should relate, and school compounds. washing at the right time (before be relevant, to all key groups in the l Children with poor hand washing and after eating, and after using community. When working with local habits and practices. the toilet), and sharing of tasks— groups in communities, it is of course collecting water and cleaning toilets— easiest to begin with those who are Conclusion/Finding/Intervention by boys and girls equally. already involved and are the strongest l Maintenance of water pumps l To promote behavioral change and then expand. This means that and toilets from SDMCs with the by providing hygiene education in in different communities somewhat intervention of the RSSD team. school and linking it to the home different groups may be initially l Cleanliness of sanitation facilities. and community. involved in the program. l About toilets and urinals: children’s l To develop a system within the assessment about convenience and school so that the facilities once The Vision: Main Actors Involved easy use of facilities. created are maintained by the school and Their Roles l For hand washing: children’s without any external support. A school sanitation, water, and hygiene knowledge about the importance of l To build the capacities of all education program hand washing after using the toilet; stakeholders especially of teachers, l Child: a key resource better knowledge about health PRI, and so on, thus ensuring the l School: a knowledge center reasons for hand washing; more sustainability of the system. l Teacher: a sensitive leader access to hand washing facilities Investing in school sanitation and l Community: an equal partner inside the toilet; and more frequent hygiene education has many benefits. It l Government: a committed facilitator practice of hand washing before is in essence an investment in our future. eating in school. Situational Analysis l More active school health clubs. The SSHE program should Unfortunately, the high expectations l More information about water and sanitation/hygiene passing from relate, and be relevant, to all of school health and hygiene education programs have not always been fulfilled. school to parents. key groups in the community. Schools, too, often suffer from: l With the intervention of the SSHE When working with local l Non-existent or insufficient water program staff, school children have groups, it is easiest to begin supply, sanitation, and hand adopted better hygiene practices. with those who are already washing facilities. involved and are the strongest. l Toilets or latrines that are not This means that in different adapted to the needs of children, in Abdul Shafee Ahmed, particular, girls. District Consultant for Water, communities somewhat l Broken, dirty, and unsafe water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH Program), different groups may be initially supply, sanitation, and hand UNICEF, Raichur, Karnataka. involved in the program washing facilities. Tel: +919449661095

5 SPOTLIGHT and the amount. Even after achieving ODF, no incentive was paid to individual entitled beneficiaries. The GP applied ODF Status Achieved in for NGP and in the third attempt the GP was recognized and awarded the NGP. It Mandi Gram Panchayats was only after getting the recognition of the NGP award, the entitled BPL families Villagers work towards improving the environment were paid an incentive. The GP also received a State award (`1 lakh) for ODF status before the NGP award ungrail Chouk, the village known aspect of the strategy was that no was issued. Bas the Switzerland of Himachal message regarding any incentive money As far as drinking water is concerned, Pradesh, is about was ever discussed, so that along a multi-village water supply scheme 85 km from Mandi, the district HQ with BPL, all APL families could be has been introduced by the Irrigation of Mandi district and situated at simultaneously motivated. The cohesive a height of around 6,500 ft. Even spirit imbibed among the villagers during the hot summer months, the created magic. Every household of the lush green environment of the village GP joined hands in collecting materials helps to cool visitors. The village is such as stone and sand, helping dig an ODF village and has received the pits, laying stones to wall the pits, and NGP award as well. Sustainability in constructing superstructures. With sanitation and drinking water has been door-to-door campaigns, meetings, achieved through effective IEC by group discussions, street theater, wall the Rural Development Department. paintings, and so on, every household The IEC fund was utilized for felt the need for toilets and understood achieving sustainable sanitation by the the health impact of open-defecation engagement of an NGO to generate and social issues pertaining to the awareness and also bring about dignity of women and comfort of behavior change. the aged. With the endeavor of the Under the chairmanship of the entire community, every household district magistrate, all departments constructed toilets and thus the age- were involved in mobilizing the old practice of open defecation was Cohesive spirit creates magic community in a participatory manner eradicated. for collectively making the GP Open The villagers were not aware about Defecation Free. The most significant the incentive permissible under TSC Department, which handles the drinking water supply in HP. The households have the advantage of piped water supply at the household level. The village is an ideal example to exhibit how effective convergence of schemes of various departments can usher in sustainable prosperity. By utilizing the MGNRGA fund, four ponds have been dug for meeting the need for domestic water supply. Under the National Horticulture Mission (NHM), drip irrigation system, vermin compost, protective net for apple plants, Convergence of schemes has ushered in sustainable prosperity and so on, have been facilitated.

6 Innovation Punjab Villages go for 24x7 Metered Water Supply

PRWSS Project assisted by World Bank

ith a view to provide quality reduced, and households at the tail Wservice to the consumers and for end of the system get their fair Installed water meter at ensuring equity among various users, share of water. village Paprala metering and billing is being promoted by charging water tariff on a volumetric System Remains basis. The Punjab Government had Financially Sustainable leaders during the pre-planning and decided to provide water meters with Water tariffs are worked out by Village planning phases. each water connection in 100 villages Water and Sanitation Committees l Training on quality aspects in the on a pilot basis. However, only such (VWSCs) to cover the system’s O&M implementation phase. villages which cover 100 percent costs in full. Volumetric charges covered l Training for operation and households through water connections the salaries of the operator and cashier, management aspects to the and opt for 24x7 water supplies would electricity charges for pumping water, pump operators/technicians, be covered with metering on a first- and minor repairs and maintenance. officials handling the accounts come first-serve basis. Committees were authorized to revise and billing during the By May 2013, more than 200 out their water tariffs depending on their post-implementation phase. of the 955 villages covered under actual expenditures. the project had opted for metered About 90 percent of consumers are Metering and Billing household connections, and 15 of these paying their water bills regularly, while l Meter readings in each house are had round-the-clock water supply. the others are being persuaded to do so. jointly undertaken by the pump Almost 90 percent of consumers are Some villages now have sizable savings operator and the cashier on the 25th paying their water bills regularly. Some in their O&M account, varying from of every month. The meter reading villages now have sizable savings in `35,000 to `1 million. Savings have record is maintained in a register. their operations and maintenance been re-invested to extend distribution l The signature of every consumer (O&M) accounts, varying from `35,000 networks, procure standby pumps and is taken on the register about the to `10 lakh. A hundred villages are diesel generators, or landscape correctness of the meter reading. targeted to be provided with a metering water works. l At present the water bills are system in 2013-14. prepared by the cashier but soon Steps Followed for Achieving the preparation of the bills will be 24x7 Water Supply in 24x7 Water Supply outsourced to a computer agency, 15 Villages l Creating awareness and sensitizing the Department of Electronics By May 2013, 15 villages had 24x7 the people of the village about the Accreditation for Computer Courses metered water supplies. More GPWSCs water supply scheme. in Chandigarh. are coming forward in providing l Generating participatory rural l The agency charges `1 for the coverage to 100 percent households appraisal for the scheme. preparation of each water bill, which through water connections and have l Forming a Gram Panchayat Water will be borne by the consumers/ given their consent for seeking 24x7 Supply Committee. GPWSC on a trial basis. water supplies. With this, illegal l Providing capacity building training. l The collection of water bills is done connections become redundant, the l Training on project concepts. jointly by the pump operator and the chances of water contamination are l Role of GPWSC/GP/opinion cashier. In the case of any default in

7 Innovation

the meter during use, an average bill of the previous three months usage Community-managed is charged. l The GPWSC will supply new water Piped Water Supply Scheme meters in lieu of faulty meters. The charges for the new meter will be Lupungutu village solves its drinking water problem borne by the consumer. l If any consumer is found guilty of misusing the water, his water illage Lupungutu comes under the Lupungutu Panchayat of West Singhhum connection is disconnected and Vdistrict in Jharkhand. It is a tribal dominated village, inhabited mostly by reconnection is done only after the Ho-tribe. The area is popularly known as the Kolhan sector. Being a dense seeking reconnection charges. forest area, people are dependent on the forest for their livelihood. Drinking water was a major problem as they drank river water, which was contaminated. Conclusions The provision of a 24x7 metered water supply system is an example of good governance as it ensures the achievement of best practices: l The principle of consumers paying as per their usage provides the incentive for resource conservation. A lift well has been constructed on the bank of the Roro River l The metered water supply system provides an opportunity to charge as This led the villagers to identify a stream in the village. It was considered a per the volumes of water consumed, sacred stream, which had healing powers for diseases such as rheumatism, skin unlike in unmetered flat rates, infections, and so on. This stream merged into the Roro River. The department where the quantity consumed is initiated and constructed water supply structures long back in 1984. Water not the criteria. supply was started to the nearby villages but owing to weak management, it was l 24x7 metered water supply discontinued. The supply restarted in 2009 and in 2011 it was handed over to the encourages consumers to minimize Mukhiya, Lupungutu Panchayat. After the formation of the VWSC, the Mukhiya, the use of water such as closing the being the head of the committee, shared the responsibility with the VWSC. tap when they do not want water. Currently, the scheme has the capacity to supply water to 400 HHs covering one l Consumers located at higher tola—Patahatu tola—under Lupungutu village. Discussion with the villagers revealed elevation do not suffer as lower that 4,000 m of pipeline have been stretched through the area to extend the supply elevation consumers try to close of drinking water. the tap as soon as their requirement Structure of the Scheme is fulfilled. A lift well has been constructed on the bank of the Roro River. A filtration plant l Provides equity among consumers. called low lift (10 HP centrifugal pumps) supplies filter water to the high lift (15 HP l The villagers get safe water at their centrifugal pumps) settling tank (24 ft/45 ft 3 No. slow sand filter) up to the main doorstep round-the-clock and are road through 800 m of 150 mm CI pipe. The rest of the 100 mm CI pipe from the also encouraged to pay the water high lift is stretched to supply complete filtered water. Presently the connection is bills regularly. through nine standposts to 55 households with a population of 4,000. The water is l The GPWSC remains alive to the supplied twice a day, two hours in the morning and one hour in the evening. necessity of properly maintaining its O&M account. Function of the VWSC The revenue for supply water that was earlier collected by the Department to look after the O&M, has now been handed over to the Machida, Mrs Alma Kui. CE-cum-Program Director, She told us that VWSC has been informed of the handing over and the roles and State Program Management Cell, responsibilities to be followed. The VWSC is now fully responsible for ensuring the Mohali; and NK Dhir, Superintending availability of safe water. `65 is taken as user charges from each household and a Engineer-cum DPD, record is efficiently maintained by the VWSC. Circle Chandigarh

8 Innovation l The work of exclusive ladies’ toilets with sanitary napkin vending machines and disposal facilities is Solid Waste under progress in Karnodi Laila in Laila GP of Belthangady Talukas. Management Scenario l Liquid waste treatment plant construction work is under progress New initiatives in sanitation and hygiene in Dakhsan Kannada, in Ujire GP of Belthangady Talukas a district of Karnataka and Kadaba GP of Puttur Taluk. l Eco-friendly, chemical-free sanitary napkin manufacturing unit by or the sustainability of the Total and Subramanya in Sullia Taluk, ISIRI SHG established at Laila GP. FSanitation Campaign (TSC), Zila development work is under progress. l As a part of solid waste Parishads (ZPs) have engaged NGOs l In 65 GPs, land filling technology management, biodegradable as nodal agencies to conduct public work is under progress. fertilizer production has been awareness campaigns by implementing l Plastic soudhas have been started at GP Laila and GP Kurnad. mid-media activities such as street plays, constructed in 90 GPs to collect An eco-friendly plant for the street jathas, film shows, slide shows, non-biodegradable waste such as production of fertilizers is being and so on. Awareness camps were being plastic, metal, and glass. proposed in 30 GPs of Dakhsian conducted at regular intervals involving l In 30 GPs, solid waste management Kannada ZP. Subsequently, school children, Anganwadi workers, treatment plants were commissioned ingredients of waste are segregated Accredited Social Health Activists by December 2012. and processed to produce an eco- (ASHAs), NSS Teams, NGOs, and so New Initiatives friendly fertilizer, brand name: on, in all the 1,075 wards in 368 villages l By using biodegradable waste, an Laila Gold. of the 203 Gram Panchayats (GPs) LPG production unit has been l Further, by proper utilization in the district. For enabling effective successfully installed in Bajpe. LPG of the bio-wastes of GPs, rural Information, Education, and production unit installation work is electrification projects are in Communication (IEC) under TSC, the under progress in Hosangady GP, progress for providing power ZP released an IEC fund to the tune of Laila GP, Ujire GP, Panjikal GP, and supply to government offices. `5,500 for each ward. Ira GP. This measure also solves the Operational Status problem of large amount of waste l In five GPs, solution-1 (DMS: produced from religious places Dorment Micro Organism Solution) By proper utilization of the such as in Dharmasthala, Kukke- Subramanya, Kateel, Polali, and the technology is in practice. bio-wastes of GPs, rural l Uppinangady temples of DKZP. In Baltila, Sangabettu and Kukupa, electrification projects are in Manchi in Bantwala Taluk, Charmadi, Aladangady, Kuvettu and progress for providing power Source: State Coordinator, Thannirpanta in Belthangady Taluk, supply to government offices NBA, Karnataka. [email protected]

Work on ladies’ toilets with sanitary napkin vending machines is under progress

9 INNOVATION Under this project, the pond is first dewatered and de-silted Liquid Waste Management and thereafter it is divided into four separate compartments by PHED Punjab sets an example creating earthen embankments. Later on, embankments and the area around the pond are Government’s Initiative all the village ponds gradually, to With a view to restore the pristine begin with, it has been decided to properly grassed and provided utility of village ponds and to provide a renovate 500 village ponds on a with suitable landscape healthy environment, the Water Supply pilot basis by selecting 25 ponds in & Sanitation Department, Punjab, has each district of the State. Forty-nine undertaken an initiative to renovate the ponds have already been renovated will spend approximately `34 crore choked village ponds, by adopting a and work is in progress for the on this pilot project. The district of waste stabilization technique. Though renovation in 213 villages. As per Ludhiana in Punjab took the lead under the Government intends to renovate present estimate, the Government this pond renovation project by taking

Snapshot of pond at village Rurka, Ludhiana district

10 up 42 villages. In Ludhiana, work has suitable landscape, including shady as the monsoon season. This pond has a already been completed in 18 villages well as flowering trees. The first portion total area of three acres and it serves and the results are quite encouraging. of the pond acts as an anaerobic-cum- 500 households with an approximate The pond renovation technology sedimentation pond; the second portion population of 2,500. On 12 July 2010, has been evolved on the basis of acts as a facultative pond; the third, a there was heavy rainfall of 122 mm a ‘Technical Note on Solid and maturation pond and the fourth acts in Ludhiana. It was observed that Liquid Waste Management in Rural as a polishing pond. The excess water the rise in the water level in the first Areas’(http://hptsc.nic.in/SLWM/ from the first tank naturally flows into compartment of the pond (area 0.75 SLWM_2.pdf), prepared by the the second and so on. It has been acre) was 66 cm, which implies that Government of India and UNICEF. observed that during dry weather, water 2,000 cu m water were harvested on This technology was, however, modified flows from the first pond to the second a single day. The water got absorbed and refined to suit local conditions. portion where it is entirely absorbed. in the soil within three to four days. In Under this project, the pond is first During the rainy season, the rain Ludhiana district the average annual dewatered and de-silted and thereafter water flows into the third and fourth rainfall is 800 mm. Therefore, it can be it is divided into four separate compartments and ultimately gets safely concluded that one such pond compartments by creating earthen absorbed into the ground. can harvest 12,000 cu m of rain water embankments. Later on, embankments The renovated pond in Dewatwal annually. This is in addition to the daily and the area around the pond are village, Ludhiana district, was carefully flow of 150 cu m sullage water from the properly grassed and provided with monitored by the Department during households. The total annual inflow of

Schematic Flow Diagram for Renovation of Village Pond

Pond 1 Pond 2 Pond 3 Anaerobic-cum- Facultative Maturation Pump sedimentation tank Detention time 10 days Detention time 10 size = 15% area of pond or area = 25-30% days ie area = 30% for or 5 days detention time, Water depth Water depth 25-30% irrigation whichever is higher. (ie outlet @ 1.5 mt from (ie outlet @ 1.5 mt Depth of outlet from bed) to maintain from bed) bottom 3 meter 1.5 mt depth

250 mm i/d pipe with tee

Waste 10” o/d Overflow 10” o/d Overflow 10” o/d Overflow Pond 4 water pipe with pipe 12” dia pipe with pipe 12” dia pipe with pipe 12” dia Polishing pond area inlet tee or more to tee or more to tee or more to 25-30% or detention discharge discharge discharge time 10 days rain water rain water rain water

11 Before rehabilitation After rehabilitation

water comes to 60,000 cu m water, that Needless to stress, the ground water in Punjab is fast is, 48,000 cu m of sullage water and depleting due to over drawing, especially during the 12,000 cu m rain water, which can be gainfully utilized for the recharging of paddy season. In case the pond renovation technology ground water. Needless to stress, the and this pilot project extended to 12,000 villages in ground water in Punjab is fast depleting Punjab, it would certainly be a big boost for improving due to over drawing, especially during the present bleak ground water situation. Apart from the paddy season. In case the pond renovation technology and this pilot recharging the ground water, tremendous improvement project extended to 12,000 villages in in environmental and sanitation conditions in the villages Punjab, it would certainly be a big boost is another benefit for improving the present bleak ground water situation. Apart from recharging the interregnum between the sowing and in the long run it will prove to the ground water, tremendous and harvesting of two major crops of be a boon for maintaining a healthy improvement in environmental and the State, that is, paddy and wheat. environment in rural Punjab. Ponds sanitation conditions in the villages is Therefore, the Department practically will again become the focal point of the another benefit. gets only two months’ time in a year social life of the villagers. The major difficulty that is to complete the work related to encountered in the implementation of dewatering, de-silting, and the division the project is dewatering and disposal of ponds into four portions. Water Supply & Sanitation of the sullage water. In view of the However, the experience of the Department, Punjab. intensive cropping pattern in the Department in the last one year has E-mail: [email protected]. State, this can be done only during confirmed that this project is a success Tel: 9878428503

12 Innovation Sanitation Committee (VWSC), a statutory body constituted under the provisions of the Panchayati Raj Act, Strategy for Achieving is the village-level executing agency of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan. The Open Defecation Free Mukhiya of the Gram Panchayat is the President of the VWSC and the Jal Sahiya (the female grassroots worker), Villages in Jharkhand as prescribed by the national guideline of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan, was Based on the experience of Gadri village in Ranchi deputed as the treasurer of the VWSC. The task of the facilitating NGO was to strengthen the capacity of the he Drinking Water and Sanitation The Mukhiya, after ascertaining VWSC, vis-à-vis the Mukhiya of the TDepartment, Jharkhand, has the commitment of the entire Gram Panchayat, to foster community adopted a new strategy, which village, that is, 100 percent mobilization on one hand and liaison was demonstrated with UNICEF with the District Water and Sanitation support in Ranchi district of households to strive towards Committee (DWSC), on the other. Jharkhand. UNICEF engaged the achieving ODF status and The Mukhiya, after ascertaining NGO ACE (Action for Community simultaneously the construction the commitment of the entire village, Empowerment) to demonstrate the of sanitary toilets in each that is, 100 percent households to strategy. Gadri village of Nehalu household, worked out the strive towards achieving ODF status Kapadia Panchayat was taken up as total cost of the project. and simultaneously the construction the first village for the demonstration of sanitary toilets in each household, of this strategy. The concept of Subsequently, the VWSC worked out the total cost of the targeting the community as a whole, submitted a proposal to the project. Subsequently, the VWSC as against the earlier approach to DWSC for a loan submitted a proposal to the DWSC focus on individual households, was a for a loan to initiate the project. critical shift. thereafter mobilizing funds to achieve Individual households thereafter This challenging task was led by total sanitation coverage and use. At contributed to meet the total project the Panchayats. Evidently, the role this juncture, the provision of accessing cost. This included labor cost, though of the facilitating NGO becomes the Revolving Fund was the key in many cases the labor component critical in supporting the Panchayats innovation of the demonstration was contributed directly by the first to mobilize the community and process. The Village Water and beneficiary households.

The concept of targeting the community as a whole was a critical shift

13 On 13 May 2013, Gadri was declared Open Defecation Free

Implementation of the Strategy While implementing the Once the construction phase The process of toilet construction sanitation program, it was was completed and the village was was preceded by extensive perceived that households declared ODF, the VWSC prepared community mobilization activities a list of households in the village who led by the Panchayats. While have a natural attraction were eligible for NBA subsidy and implementing the sanitation towards high quality submitted a proposal to the DWSC, program, it was perceived that construction. As toilets were requesting for the subsidy fund. households have a natural attraction coming up in the village with Eventually, on 13 May 2013, Gadri towards high quality construction. As robust superstructures, there was declared ODF. A celebration toilets were coming up in the village was an immense demand was held in the village, organized by with robust superstructures, there was the VWSC. During this celebration, an immense demand for improving for improving the design of the Additional Chief Secretary of the design of the superstructure and the superstructure and the the Drinking Water and Sanitation the beneficiary households were beneficiary households were Department handed over the NBA willing to invest on their assets. ACE, willing to invest on their assets subsidy amount, adjusted with the the NGO involved in facilitation, loan provided through the revolving made several innovations in toilet funds. The Jal Shiya also received the construction; for instance, having primarily based on restricting wastage, incentive amount. a common wall for adjacent toilets planning for construction in scale, belonging to siblings who belonged and avoiding over-designing of basic Sudhir Prasad, Additional Chief to separate households. In this components (such as the platform of Secretary, Drinking Water and manner the unit cost of the toilets the toilet, cover of the leech pit, Sanitation Department, was reduced. Cost optimization was doors, and roofs). Government of Jharkhand

A newsletter jointly produced by: Editorial board Saraswati Prasad, Joint Secretary, Sanitation Satyabrata Sahu, Joint Secretary, Water Ministry of Drinking Water Sujoy Mazumdar, Director, Water and Sanitation Pratima Gupta, Director, Sanitation D. Rajsekhar, DA Dr. Tapan Kumar Das, NRC Consultant (IEC), Member Secretary and Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation Nodal Officer (Tel: 011-24364807/8826011268; [email protected]) (Rajiv Gandhi National Drinking Water Mission), Government of India, Paryavaran Bhawan, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi 110 003 All correspondence to be sent to the Nodal Officer 14 Media Write