Self-supporting community- based mitigation program that provides arsenic safe water using modified dugwells along with public education on water related health effects.
Narrative
Initially nobody used the water. The water quality is good with slight organic odor.
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Meera Hira-Smith of Project WellImplementation Status: complete_unsuccessful Thu 12 Aug 2010, Over 14 Years ago
Monthly Status report of July 2010
Though the depth of this dugwell is 20 ft it gets dry in the summer months because of its location on the higher side of the area. Due to decrease in the rainfall in monsoon dugwells located in such areas are used only during the rainy season. In some areas people are abandoning the dugwells. The closure survey has been done and it has been decided that the dugwells will not be filled with dirt for it may be used in the long run.
- Impact Assessment (M&E) Phase Project completed on 31 Dec, 2008 Implementation Phase
- Implementation Phase Project started on 1 Aug, 2008 Preparation Phase
Self-supporting community- based mitigation program that provides arsenic safe water using modified dugwells along with public education on water related health effects.
Narrative
Initially nobody used the water. The water quality is good with slight organic odor.
Other Issues
Unusual and unexpected issues faced during project execution
Arsenic was found to be a bit high at 33 PPB that goes down with rainfall and time. But it is still lower than the standard followed (50PPB) in India. Bacteria counts were both undetected.
Learnings
Knowledge of project and process for sharing
Numerous health meetings are needed at this area repeatedly by different speakers to convince the community about the benefit of arsenic-safe chlorinated water.
Impact
People Impacted: 6
People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 6
Only one family is drinking now. Initially nobody used.
People Getting Other Benefits: 50
Public health education on arsenic health effects and personal hygiene is given to all the dugwell beneficiaries. A training program on the maintenance of the dugwells (including chlorination) is given to develop a sense of ownership and to make the program sustainable. There are five field workers working on the dugwell program who are selected from the arsenic afflicted villages. They are involved in site selection, village meetings during site selection, followed by construction of the wells and also follow up the on the technical faults of the dugwells and the numebr of users. The villagers are also shown VCDs on how to improve personal health and hygeine through proper practices. The office of Aqua Welfare Society is located in the village and the coordinator and the account asistant / data entry person travel from Kolkata to meet with them weekly. Trades like well-digging, pottery, and masonry, are required for the dugwell program and are benefiting from work generated by the project.
Maintenance/Operating Costs Annual, in US$: $40
Creating and measuring long-term impact
Implementer: Aqua Welfare Society, West Bengal, India
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.
Funding
- Final Cost:
- $909