Start Date: 2009-11-01

Completion Date: 2010-12-31

Technology Used:

Conventional dugwells with a modified design to reduce potential bacterial contamination are constructed in carefully selected sites. The shallow dugwells are packed with coarse sand around the annular space to enhance groundwater storage and also act as a filter to some extent. The dugwells are fed by rainwater and are therefore not contaminated with arsenic. Wells are also protected from external contamination by a net cover and a tin roof. Water is withdrawn by traditional hand- pumps. (For pics, published reports and newsletters, please visit www.projectwellusa.org). The water in these shallow dugwells is rainwater or surface water from the surrounding water bodies that contain arsenic within permissible limits.
From 2003 to 2008, due to the El Nino effect, annual rainfall decreased from 380 cm to 70 cm. To increase the depth of dugwells in some areas where availability of water is especially scarce in summer, a new design has been experimented with that has turned out to be groundbreaking. It is a dug/tubewell (PW74GDP1, http://peerwater.org/projects/72 ). A 12” diameter PVC pipe is used to penetrate the thick layer of very fine sand below a depth of 11 feet where, due to sand boiling, manual digging is impossible. This 10-foot long PVC pipe increases the dugwell depth to 21 feet below ground level. Water is now available in abundance in the summer month of May. In 2009 fifteen dugwells are of the average depth of 28 feet. In the coming year, there is plan to construct all deep dug-cum bore-wells.

Phases:

Yes, over a period of one year.

Community Organization:

In 2007 and 2008, 44 dugwells were constructed in the Gaighata block. In 2009, 20 more dugwells are constructed in Gaighata and Swarupnagar. Formal meetings with local government bodies such as Block Development office and the gram panchayats are not needed for the construction in 2010 because they were informed about the project in the past. But for new districts like Nadia, there is plan to implement new dugwells in the Chakdaha block, we have met with the government officials and more meetings will be needed. The demand for more dugwells is high mainly in Gaighata, where the population is large and people are aware of the arsenic effects, since many people have died from arsenic poisoning (refer to videos VDPW1 and VDPW2 at projectwellusa.org ). In 2008, 20 village meetings were held before construction. Similar village meetings will be held at the proposed villages and will be organized by experienced field workers. Door-to-door campaigning is no longer needed because information on dugwell water has spread through the community; additionally, the ex-public health officer of Gaighata organized a health fair at which dugwell water was one of the main topics of discussion. After a few meetings with prospective beneficiaries, the communities donate sites. (The dugwell is not constructed on any government property). A sense of ownership develops from the very start through this donation of a plot of land by the community. After approval of the selected sites by experts, based on local geology and existence of arsenic contaminated tubewells nearby, community-based groups (CBG) are formed. These groups comprise people who will be using the dugwell water. The family that donates the land becomes the chief caretaker. To maintain the well, training is given to a person in the community who is capable of measuring the volume of water in the well, from which the dose of disinfectant is determined. A user-friendly chart is given as a guide for the dose of disinfectant to be applied. In areas where it is hard to find a literate person, a field worker measures the water and gives the dose for three weeks for the users to apply. The disinfectant is purchased by the CBGs and they also take care of minor repairs to any wear-and-tear of the well and the hand pump. Once a year, arsenic analysis is done by the implementer. A sense of ownership and investment develops amongst the users as they pay to obtain arsenic-safe water.

Government Interaction:

Government interaction comes only prior to start the program in a block just to inform them about out work in the areas to avoid any duplication. Sometimes the government officials, for instance, the members of the panchayet help us in selection of sites that later are approved scientifically by the experts of the partner NGO, Aqua Welfare Society.

Ancillary activities:

Project Well keeps a database evaluating the use of the dugwells with the help of a Google map and Excel file that relates the two components: Dugwell identification number and number of users. The Excel file also contains an assessment of the quality of water. In addition, the field workers record notes of all the technical wear-and-tear that are fixed by the consumers if there are enough collected funds; otherwise, the cost is subsidized from the Project Well fund. Consumers are visited by grassroots field workers monthly during the first year and quarterly later, and asked about outbreaks of diarrhea and dysentery. Once a year, a senior Project Well member visits some of the dugwells selected at random from the map to cross-check data produced by the field workers.
Research and Development on the dugwells is ongoing. This year, the newly designed deep dugwell was under observation regarding the quality and volume of water throughout the year. In the month of April the height of water was four feet excluding the ten feet in the extended pipe. In total there was 14 feet water. The bacteriogical analysis, to measure total and fecal coliforms, of 2008 are available in the pdf report of January 2009 and analysis of new dugwells of 2009 are scheduled and results will be available at the end of the year. Arsenic concentration is measured routinely once a year in all the dugwells, new and old.

Other Issues:

1. One of the issues is a matter of concern to me that is the pipeline scheme in West Bengal. The government of West Bengal has supposedly undertaken a scheme to provide pipeline water in the villages. It is crucial for us to know the plan, the map of exact location of the pipeline to avoid any duplication. It can be made available on the internet for all to refer. Last December 24th we went to visit a few dugwells PW#46 and 47 at Kamdebkathi and found that pipeline was implemented up to the dugwell PW 47 (Sukanto Mondol) and not further though according to a beneficiary of dugwell said that the remaining pipes were taken away instead of installing them for another tap point. To get drinking water that too has the chlorine taste, some consumers walk for 3-5 minutes to the school playground. And we also found that the tap that was installed three months ago was already broken and water was gushing out. What a waste of treated water! There is no maintenance plan nor there is anybody to inspect on the work completed properly according to the plan. When and how to change this practice is a big question?

2. One of other issue is if the dugwell is located in a person’s land, who willingly had given the space for the dugwell for the community, has any difference in political, religious or family views that of the neighbors, then dugwell water would be underused. Such people would prefer to drink arsenic contaminated water from its own tubewell rather than getting water from the dugwell. These people give more importance to family feud, political affiliations rather than public health. They would not even attend the health meetings as they come to know that ‘water’ would be topic of discussion.