Report: Arsenic free bore-dugwell (PW127SBPR1 ) funded by Blue Planet Run Foundation (MSSCT)

Self-supporting community- based mitigation program that provides arsenic safe water using modified dugwells along with public education on water related health effects.

This site for dugwell #PW127 located in the village Singidanga, in Gaighata block of North 24 Parganas district was cancelled. The site was donated by Niranjan Das. The reason for cancellation is that there are two arsenic safe water sources closeby and those who requested for a bore dugwell is wealthy enough to construct one such source himself. The new site is in the village called Sabaipur in Gaighata and the land is donated by Bijoy Das.

Construction of a bore-dugwell is complete. Waiting for pictures. The arsenic test and application of the disinfectant are scheduled. The community will be trained to apply the disinfectant and field workers will visit the bore-dugwell for two years or until the user community feels confident to take the responsibility of the bore-dugwell.

Aqua Welfare Society, AWS, is the partner NGO of Project Well. Their office is based in the North 24 Parganas. The 7 honorary board members are located in Kolkata. There were only 5 field workers who were interacting with the villagers and beneficiaries, training the users on maintenance of the dugwells, organizing village meetings and health meetings. This year four more field workers including a management trainee have been contracted due to expansion of the program to other districts like Nadia and Murshidabad. 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.