Report: Arsenic Safe Drinking Water: Habra 1

Self-supporting community based mitigation program to provide arsenic safe water

In total 11 dugwells were constructed. As of September 2006 in total 150 people (34 families) were using water from 8 dugwells. Water from three dugwells were not used due to local political reasons. Now PW45, a dugwell has been closed and water from a deep tubewell (that was constructed later) is being used. The arsenic concentration of the deep tubewell is high, 253 PPB as of November 7 2007, but still this backward, poor community, choose to use the contaminated water .

0

Research and Development is ongoing on the dugwells in which water contains organic odor and high fecal coliform, occurring mainly when the dugwell is fairly new. The water is treated with lime and, in cases of high fecal coliform levels, is also treated regularly with theoline, the disinfectant that contains 5% chlorine. Villagers are advised not to use the water for a few days during the period of shock treatment. Water analysis to measure the concentration of arsenic levels and total and fecal bacteria of all functional dugwells will be routinely done after construction. Also, every summer when the water levels drop, arsenic levels are measured. Project Well keeps a database evaluating the use of the dugwells (see attached newsletter). Consumers are visited monthly by the grassroots level field workers and asked about outbreaks of diarrhea and dysentery among users of each dugwell. In the winters of 2004 and 2005, door-to-door village surveys were carried out to create the database of the existing dugwells and observation of any outbreaks. There have been no such outbreaks linked to any particular dugwell water use over a period of four years.

Due to odor of chlorine (as found in tap water) and slight organic/earthy smell in three dugwells the use of water is not optimum. To increase its utility locally manufactured (pottery) low cost ($2) earthen filters, that remove the odor and any impurities, are being distributed. Each household pay 25%. Evaluation survey to assess the utility of the dugwells will be done in January 2007.

Aqua Welfare Society, AWS, is the partner NGO. Their office is based in the North 24 Parganas. The 8 honorary board members are located in Kolkata. There are only 5 field workers who are interacting with the villagers and beneficiaries, training the users on maintenance of the dugwells, organizing village meetings and health meetings. A technical advisor of AWS is based in Kolkata who visits the village occasionally and one awareness programmer who is in charge of awareness programs in the communities and educational institutions. There is an accountant and also a data entry person on part time basis.