Development Alternatives: Issues and Challenges in engaging

Community and Institutions in accessing Safe Drinking Water in Bihar

16th March 2017

Central University of South Bihar

Gaya

The issue…

• Ground water: major source of drinking water

• Preference to tube-wells, hand-pumps through programmes/projects/schemes

• Persistent drinking water quality problem in different geographies- arsenic- a ‘wicked’ contaminant in around 86 districts in India (CGWB)

• Associated health risks and impacts

• Major concern

Solution and Approach

• What does the solution hint at?– Is the problem a small cog in the larger wheel of water quality/supply

institutions/management/infrastructure

– ‘Traditional’ practices, participatory methods, technological method??

• If we know the solution, do we know the approach?

• What about solutions and approaches till date?

One of the possible ways: Network approach

• Trans-disciplinary developmental problems requiring multi-pronged strategy

• Many mitigation activities, governmental interventions technologies and projects initiated till date.

• Few inter-sectorial, multi-disciplinary talks or efforts towards action.

• The idea of network is to tap into existing communities of practices, widen scheme of understanding and gaps.

• Assist and accompany communities in a consolidated manner.

What are the networks involved with?

• Creating platforms, giving people avenues to act on these water quality issues and providing them all possible support.– E.g. Jal Choupal, in association with Water Aid as an

informal platform for water related issues- being institutionalised in Bihar through Govt of Bihar

Arsenic Knowledge and Action NetworkThe Assam experience

• A few Insights…

– Conceptualizing the problem within the geography (e.g communication barrier, priority, at risk v/s affected)

– Identifying passionate individuals who can become water quality champions - From 1 village to 30 villages

– Leveraging the potential of alternative and safe source of drinking water through community engagement

– Use of Short films, videos, interactions, discussions, consultations, follow-ups, meetings…….

Guava leaf test, Assam Rain water harvesting structure in school premises

Health camp in Titabar, Assam

Community pond cleaned by the villagers

Tapping the local – newspapers, school gatherings, water quality testing, water infrastructure, awareness through hoardings

Guava leaf test in Bihar

Using ponds for drinking water

Tapping the local for solutions: Participatory Methods for micro

level planning (safe drinking water)Resource Mapping, Institutional

Mapping, Social Capital

Ice-breaker

Natural resource mapping

Institutional Mapping

Organisations Community based institutions

Social Capital Analysis

Going beyond the micro level

Programmatic, Institutional and policy response

Institutional, programmatic and policy interventions

Institutional linkages Programmatic linkages Policy

Identifying institutional gaps in drinking water supply - at state and local level (study for Bihar done)

Linking with Swachh Bharat Mission (SBM), MGNREGA (physical infrastructure)

Inter-ministerial group for Arsenic mitigation by Govt of India

Studying food habits in arsenic affected regions

Linking with Drinking Water Mission (Bihar), Water Quality monitoring and Evaluation

National Sub-Mission for Water Quality

Leveraging linkages between water quality, health and education

Inclusion of water quality in National Health Mission

Arsenic Task Force

Opportunities : Lets discuss more…

• Compilation of case studies of organizations (govt/private/NGOs), that addresses the issue of arsenic contamination in water through different approaches- revival of traditional practices, participatory planning and/or technological interventions (desk cum field work).

• Documenting Community level case studies/narratives/voices related to behavioural challenges concerning the issue of safe water in selected districts of Bihar (Khagaria, Paschim Champaran, Buxar) so as to create a repository of local knowledge (field work).

• Contribution to AKVOpedia content pages (desk work) http://akvopedia.org/

• Preparation of a status report on the issue of arsenic contamination in drinking water in Bihar- including collection of news articles, existing research works and compilation of interventions (including govt schemes, programs etc) done in the region for safe water (desk work).