2011 OU International Water Conference Role of Advocacy and Capacity Building to Achieve Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance

Transcription

1 2011 OU International Water Conference Role of Advocacy and Capacity Building to Achieve Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance A.N. Singh, Director Communication &Capacity Development Unit (CCDU) Public Health Engineering Department,(PHED) Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar, INDIA

2 ARUNACHAL PRADESH

3 Highlights Arunachal Pradesh, with 83,743 Sq.km area located in North-Eastern part of India. Population 10,96,702, 85% mountain rugged topography, climate ranging from hot and humid to micro thermal. 26 major tribes and a number of sub tribes, all of them have their own ethos, dialects and cultural identities. Living condition over here is just excellent due to pollution free environment. cont/...

4 WATSAN Schemes are executed by State PHE &WS Department. 95% rural drinking water supply are gravity feed surface source. Target oriented Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring (RDWQM) was introduced during District Level Water Quality Testing Laboratories (DLWQTLs) were setup for monitoring of rural drinking water sources. Community involvement in RDWQM was almost nil. cont/...

5 Community behavioural attitudes towards (RDWQM) was poor. Concept confined to water quality monitoring through government. Role of grass root level institutions seen visible in recent years. Above ethos yield little impact on health benefits of rural masses. Spread of water borne diseases remained dominant cause of morbidity and mortality.

6 Problem Identification Problem of drinking water quality monitoring studied thoroughly. Water quality monitoring was totally done on ad hoc basis. Evidence shows present approach inefficient to quality service. Effort reserved sense government responsibility for water testing. Importance of safe drinking water among community was fairly low. Lack of felt need of the people towards water quality monitoring. cont/...

7 Absence of Gram Panchayats, community & NGOs systematic involvement in WQMSP. Extremely inadequate institutional framework for water quality surveillance in rural areas. Resource constraint in term of manpower and infrastructure major obstacle. DLWQTLs in no position to take task of routine monitoring rural water sources. Cont/...

8 They can at the most play useful in crisis situation like water borne epidemics. No system of water quality surveillance exists at the village and block level. Sanitation and RDWQM&S the biggest development challenge in India. Radical change was needed to achieve rural drinking water quality Monitoring goal.

9 Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Reform Strategy and Process Field advocacy capacity building led WQMSP. CCDU co-ordination plan evolved to reach unreached. Demand driven approach with increased advocacy. PRIs involvement, changes in quality of life visualizing in villages. Monitoring and surveillance of all water sources by the community. Decentralization of WQM&S of all rural drinking water sources. Institutionalization and involvement of PRIs for RDWQM&S. Cont/...

10 Awareness generation among rural masses about water quality issues and problem related to water borne diseases. Capacity building of panchayats to own and handle FTKs. Involvement of Gram Panchayats (GPs) in WQMSP programme. Taking up area specific IEC activities involving PRIs & NGOs. Imparting training to district, Block and GP level functionaries. The DLWQTLs to test 20% of water sample tested by GPs. GP wise identification of safe drinking water sources. Cont/...

11 Demonstration and training to use Field Test Kits An Early Warning System

12 100% water sample testing by the Gram Panchayats. Sanitary inspection of drinking water sources once in a year. 100% cost sharing initially by the central government. Evaluation 2010 found raising trend in demand of FTKs by GPs.

13 PHED (CCDU) State Level Planning Agency on awareness and capacity development. State Level Project Implementing Agency. Identification of Training Needs and Stakeholders. Preparation of CCD Action Plan. DCA (District Co-ordinating Agency) Preparation of District Level Strategy including separate strategy for sanitation through schools. Coordinating with Agencies/Sensitizing Motivators. Appointing Block Co-ordinators. Giving Feedback to CCDU. Arrange District Level Programme Monitoring. Block Coordinators Training of IPCOs,VMs,GPMs,VWSC members. Taking Help from Media. Demonstrating Learning Materials. Giving Feedback to DCA. Village Motivators Dissemination of WASTAN Message to Village. Writing the WASTAN Message in Local Dialects Mobilizing Groups in Villages on Safe Water. Raising Awareness on Water Born Diseases. Giving Feedback to IPCOs. State capacity development plan

14 Case Study of Arunachal Pradesh Arunachal comprises with 16 district,88 blocks,and 1776 G Ps surface drinking water sources. No chemical contamination except excess iron in foothill areas. Major bacteriological problem during rainy season and monsoon. Thus, water quality monitoring was not systematic. People were less aware of quality aspect and benefits of using safe drinking water on their livelihood. Cont/...

15 Perception of rural drinking water supply was confined to simply water supply to habitations without quality consideration. Surface water source was exposed to bacteriological contamination. Govt. of India sanctioned NRDWQM&SP during District & GP specific IEC, constitution of Village Water Sanitation Committee (VWSC) and capacity building strategy was prepared.

16 Reforms Through Increased Advocacy, Awareness and Capacity Building Rural water supply to habitations redefined to potable drinking water supply to households. 5 (Five) persons per GP from all GPs trained through NGOs to handle water quality testing Field Test Kits to test quality of all water sources in their respective Gram Panchayats. GPs/VWSCs with women Members, NGOs trained and equipped with IEC tools. Trained NGOs and VWSC Members played key role in persuading villagers. Cont/...

17 Continuing advocacy yield demand for safe drinking water. GPs started asking for providing Field Test Kits in their GPs. Gram Panchayats started taking precautions and asking the way to protect their drinking water sources from contamination and depletion. Women group immensely benefitted by empowerment reform approach. They felt proud involving themselves in NRDWQM programme. water sample testing gradually being picked up.

18 A view of awareness cum training of water quality testing by F T K

19 Advocacy awareness and capacity building key to change mindset. Area specific IEC, followed by capacity building of GPs. All above helped in emerging success of water quality monitoring and surveillance. The strategy would help to achieve sustainable RDWQM&S programme. Appreciable dent on poor rural economy of the region as well as the UN resolution of clean water and sanitation as a human right.

20 Thank You