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

Narrative

This dugwell # PW105ICPR2 is located in the Bora at the Inchapur Panchayet in Gaighata Block. Mr. Ramesh Chandra Roy has donated the site for the community.

  • Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well
    • confidential
    Implementation Status: completed_partial Thu 12 Aug 2010, Over 13 Years ago

    Monthly Status report of July 2010

    This dugwell was being used int he beginning due to compressed pipe. We speculated that the pipe was compressed by the hydraulic force of the water since the pipe was thin (6 mm).The dimensions of the PVC pipe were 20 feet in length, 8 inches in diameter and 6 mm in thickness. This resulted in two problems: (1) scarcity of water in summer in some locations and (2) there was a technical issue: during the monsoon of 2009 when the flexible pipes of four dugwells got stuck inside the inserted tube. As of July 2010 report few families have started using because the water level is above the compressed point.

  • Impact Assessment (M&E) Phase Project completed on 31 Dec, 2009 Implementation Phase
  • Implementation Phase Project started on 1 Jan, 2009 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

This dugwell # PW105ICPR2 is located in the Bora at the Inchapur Panchayet in Gaighata Block. Mr. Ramesh Chandra Roy has donated the site for the community.

Sustainability

Creating and measuring long-term impact

The users would require to purchase theoline, the disinfectant, and also repair minor wear and tear. The dugwells will be visited by the field workers every month for one year to get technical and utility reports followed by inspection once or twice a year.

Other Issues

Unusual and unexpected issues faced during project execution

Research and Development is part of the project. The Arsenic level is 6 PPB (BIS stnd is 50PPB)and the date of report October 22, 2009. Total coliform is 1130 CFU/100ml and Fecal coliform is HIGH 488 CFU/100ml. Report date is Dec 7, 2009. Chlorination is done once a week. Since the FC is high people were not using the dugwell. The water is turbid and cleaning or 'washing' the dugwell is scheduled. the water will be tested for bacteria before making it available for drinking.

Impact

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 number of users. The villagers are also shown VCDs on how to improve personal health and hygiene through proper practices. The office of Aqua Welfare Society is located in the village. The awareness programmer and experts of geology and technical knowhow are based in Kolkata who visit the village office and sites occasionally to create awareness amongst the user group, prospective users and students of schools. 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

The users would require to purchase theoline, the disinfectant, and also repair minor wear and tear. The dugwells will be visited by the field workers every month for one year to get technical and utility reports followed by inspection once or twice a year.

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

funded:
$1,050
Final Cost:
$1,050
$1,000:
Blue Planet Network

Plan/Proposal