Water and Sanitation

	Children enjoying water from a hand pump
	A septic tank under construction

Parmarth is working on Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation issue in 10 panchayats of Madhogarh block of Jalaun district. This is a ravine-affected area with a large area of un-irrigated land. The area also has severe shortage of clean potable water. Parmarth has endeavoured to change these ground realities, first by sensitising and mobilising the community and second, by following this up through 'hardware' measures.

Community Mobilisation and Sensitisation

Tools like wall writing, street play, one-to-one interactions, public speeches and various competitions are held in the project area for community mobilisation and sensitisation.  Residents of the villages have been acquainted with rain water harvesting structures by showing them photographs of such structures and awareness brochures have also been circulated among them.

Schools have been tapped to promote the concept of sanitation in schools. Various innovative techniques have been devised like motivating children to follow sanitation and hygiene habits through competitions.

For smooth implementation of the activities, Village Water and Sanitation Committee (VWSCs) have been formed. These committees regularly hold meetings in the project area and work sincerely on the issues of safe drinking water and sanitation. Sanitation fund has been created in the project area.

Consequently

• Three new hand pumps have been installed, 31 hand pumps have been restored and 137 hand pumps have been repaired.
• Now school children can avail clean potable water from 200-liter tanks that have been installed in some schools. A total of 857 students in different schools have been benefited through this.
• Mini water pipe lines have been installed in the three villages of Kharala, Rudrapura and Haidalpura with the help of VWSC
• Roof water harvesting created in Bhimnagar Junior high school.
• A huge pond dug up in 1 acre of fallow land in Machhakacha village.
• 100 kitchen gardens have been promoted in 20 villages.

Nirmal gram

Through Parmarth's efforts and positive response of the community, eight villages have been made open defecation free villages. They include two panchayats of Silwaha and Asahana as well as one village each from Mihoni and Mingni Panchayat. This has been largely possible through construction of toilets in the region. As many as 480 toilets have been constructed in the area.
Today 46 per cent of the constructed toilets are being used by the beneficiaries.