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

  • Meera Hira-Smith of Project Well
    • confidential
    Implementation Status: completed_partial Thu 12 Aug 2010, Over 14 Years ago

    Monthly Status report of July 2010

    This dugwell gets dry in summer. The handpump need to be repaired. This year too the monsoon rain is very low hence waiting for the water table to rise. Such condition prevails in certain areas based on the depth of the dugwell, its proximity from the existing water bodies and also the dip of the land.

  • Impact Assessment (M&E) Phase Project completed on 31 Dec, 2008 Implementation Phase
  • Implementation Phase Project started on 1 Jan, 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.

Sustainability

Creating and measuring long-term impact

For 40 dugwells USD1360

Other Issues

Unusual and unexpected issues faced during project execution

Arsenic concentration was 12 PPB measured on 30th June 2008 and the average of duplicate samples of Total Coliform was 9 and average of duplicate samples of Fecal coliform was 3 analyzed in a lab on 6th December 2008.

Learnings

Knowledge of project and process for sharing

Eventhough the quality of water is normal people are not accepting this traditional mode of water supply. There is a need of more publicity of the use of the dugwell water that are being used in the neighboring villages. Promoting this modified design of dugwell through media, newspaper, TV, Radio is lacking that would have enhanced the efficient use of self managed water systems.

Impact

People Impacted: 38

People Getting Safe Drinking Water: 38

According to the register record of July 2011 the total consumers=38; Families=8; Male=17, Female=21, children <5 =2 and students = 13.
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There are nine consumers in December 2008. The following are recorded in the register data: Male=47, Female=35 and children <5=5 as prospective users of the dugwell. The water is normal with very slight turbidity as in other dugwells that are in use. Earthen filter would remove the turbidity completely. Health meetings in all the communities is on-going.

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$: $34

Creating and measuring long-term impact

For 40 dugwells USD1360

Funding

funded:
$1,171
Final Cost:
$1,171
$1,171:
Blue Planet Network

Plan/Proposal