India, Tamil Nadu: Manual scavenging continues in State: SKA

Murugamma and Thirupalamma leave their homes early morning to clean human excreta. They are safai karamcharis, who are permanent employees of the Chennai Corporation and perform this daily chore at the dry latrines in Gandhi Nagar, Pallavan Salai, near General Hospital.

Inspite of earning Rs 6,000 per month, they are still looked down upon and treated as untouchables. For them, the international year of sanitation does not make much difference.

The Safai Karamchari Aandolan (SKA), in its survey of 19 districts, identified 171 manual scavengers in Tamil Nadu [excluding] unofficial manual scavengers. [...] Bezwada Wilson, national convener of SKA, said that not a single person had been prosecuted for violating the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993 by the State.

Source: Nalini Ravichandran, Express Buzz, 23 Oct 2008

National Conference on Integrated Water and Wastewater Management, 20-22 Nov 2008, Kolkata, India

Organized by: School of Water Resources Engineering (SWRE) Jadavpur University, Kolkata in association with Indian Association for Environmental Management (IAEM) NEERI, Nagpur

Conference themes:

• Physicochemical aspects of water, water quality and standard
• Watershed development with rational utilization of surface water and groundwater
• Surface water and soil moisture conservation, rainwater harvesting and recharging
• Sedimentation transport mechanism and Reservoir siltation
• Impact of climate change on water resources
• Wetland conservation, bioremediation, limnology and management strategies of lakes
• Impact of forestry on stream flow and water quality
• Water Crisis
• Ecologically balanced wastewater management

For more information go to the conference web site

Urban Rainwater Harvesting course, 17-21 Nov 2008, New Delhi, India

Organised by: Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)

This course is open to civil engineers, architects, urban planners, environment consultants, municipal water managers, policy makers, government officials and NGOs interested in learning more about the theory, practice and policies of urban water harvesting.

The programme allows you to gain knowledge, acquire holistic perspectives and get hands-on practice in planning and designing urban water harvesting systems . It will help you to solve real-life water problems of today and give you the unique chance to meet and interact with experts and professional in the field of rainwater harvesting.

Registration deadline: 07 November 2008

For more information and registration details go to the CSE web site

India – Planning Research Grants: Multiple-Use Water Services

The John D. Rockefeller 3RD Scholars Program at Winrock International, with support from UNICEF India, seeks planning grant concepts for a two-year applied research initiative. The goal is to assist key decision makers to design and plan for water services that meet the domestic and productive water needs of the rural poor, and are resilient to changes in water availability and access caused by climate change.

The two-phase grant competition is open to researchers interested in forming a multi-disciplinary team to conduct research in two or more states in India. Eligible candidates will be mid-career scholars who are citizens of and reside in India. Applicants must have at least an M.S./M.A. in a relevant field.

In Phase I, the top three planning grant concepts will receive $1,500 each, which they will use to recruit a multi-disciplinary team and jointly develop a two-year research proposal. In Phase II, one proposal will win the two-year research grant. Please see the Planning Grant Application Instructions for how to apply.

Application deadline: 18 November 2008

Related web site: Multiple Use water Services Group

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Pakistan: Preparation of Larkana Wastewater Management Strategic Action Plan and Priority Investment Program

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is seeking the services of a national engineering consulting firm experienced in urban sewerage and drainage engineering. While engineering skills and experience are required as the backbone of this work, a general understanding of the economic, financial, social and environmental issues related to sewerage and drainage is also essential. The main task of the consulting firm is to prepare the Strategy and Action Plan and prepare designs and contract documents for priority investments for Larkana. Refer to the Terms of Reference for detailed information regarding the nature of services to be provided.

Deadline for submission of EOI: 10 November 2008

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Sri Lanka: capital to get better wastewater system

The Asian Development Bank is helping to fund the [Greater Colombo Sewerage System] project to improve wastewater disposal in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo under which only treated effluent will be discharged into the sea. The 135 million dollar project covers the Colombo municipal area as well as suburbs to the north and south of the city. Defunct wastewater treatment plants at the two outlets to the sea will be replaced with modern treatment plants under the project.

The project is being handled by the state-owned National Water Supply and Drainage Board, and the Colombo municipal council.

Source: Lanka Business Online, 21 Oct 2008

Pakistan: PCRWR technicians training course launched

The 18th Technicians Training Course of the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR) was launched on [27 Oct 2008].  [...] Forty sub-engineers and technicians working in different water sector organisations of Federal Area, Punjab, Balochistan, NWFP and Fata are participating in this weeklong course. This [course] is one of the five components of PCRWR’s project ‘Provision of Safe Drinking Water’ under which the Council has, by now, given comprehensive training to over 800 personnel working in water related departments, providing them with the latest know-how about water quality monitoring and testing, water borne diseases, assessment of water supply schemes, disinfection/ treatment of polluted water, rainwater harvesting, and preservation, transportation and analysis of water samples for microbiological and chemical examinations, etc.

Source: The News, 28 Oct 2008

Pakistan: MoE confident to achieve IYS 2008 targets

The Ministry of Environment is making concerted efforts to achieve the targets set for International Year of Sanitation-2008 [...] in collaboration its partners like UNICEF, RSPN, PPAF, Water Aid, WSP-SA, USAID.

The Ministry has prime focus on four targets set for IYS-2008.

The targets one and two include; Finalization and approval of Provincial Sanitation Strategies/Action Plans by the respective Cabinets, and dissemination of hygiene messages [with support of UNICEF, USAID, RSPN and others] focusing on hand washing with soap, construction and use of latrines and use of safe water amongst at least 20% population (33 million).

Targets, three and four, include provision of improved sanitation facilities to at least 6% of the country’s population (700,000 HHs) over and above the existing [by scaling up the concept of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS)], and finalization and approval of National Drinking Water Policy by the Federal Cabinet and development of action plan for implementation.

[...] “The Balochistan Provincial Cabinet has already approved the provincial sanitation policy and strategy while in other provinces, the strategies are in the process of approval,” said Director General Environment, Javed Ali Khan. “Strategies for AJK and FANA have also been prepared.”

A Sanitation and hygiene week was observed in collaboration with Ministry of Health and UNICEF [in Punjab from from October 27 to November 1, 2008 - The News, 24 Oct 2008].

Source: APP,  18 Oct 2008

[Speaking at a briefing on Global Handwashing Day, Environment Secretary Khushnood Akhtar Lashari revealed] that unsafe drinking water, inadequate sanitation and poor hygiene practices [...] cost Rs 112 billion per annum in Pakistan. [...] He further said that poor sanitation and hygiene practices were also proving to be one of the route causes of the spread of polio, as, he informed, studies conducted during the year 2008 revealed that most of the Polio cases in Pakistan during the year came from families having no toilets.

[...] In Pakistan, [Lashari] said, diarrhea killed 11% of the total children [who] died before their fifth birthday, while overall cost due to the disease in the country was Rs 55 billion per year.

Source: Khalid Aziz, The Nation, 15 Oct 2008

Sri Lanka: raising awareness for sanitation and handwashing

The Sanitation Task Force (STF) in Sri Lanka [urged] politicians, teachers, households and communities to ensure sanitation in their localities by creating adequate awareness and understanding of its importance in maintaining the health of the nation. STF made this statement on 15 Oct 2008 at a function held to mark the International Year of Sanitation.

[...] Access to sanitation is lowest in districts such as Anuradhapura, Ampara and Moneragala and in some conflict affected districts, sanitation is as low as 30%. A high percentage of Sri Lanka’s 10,000 schools do not have adequate sanitation facilities and 600 do not have any at all; 15% of the schools have facilities that been recorded as irreparable by the Ministry of Education. According to the school census of 2007, in Sri Lanka 3658 schools do not have adequate sanitation facilities and 2373 do not have drinking water facilities

[D]iarrhea is the third leading cause of infant deaths in Sri Lanka.

Also on 15 October, to celebrate Global Handwashing Day, 1,500 Public Health Inspectors (PHIs) visited 1,500 schools and to reach 1 million school children and demonstrated how handwashing should be done. [...] A poster and a flip chart have been developed to demonstrate 9 steps of handwashing, based on surgical technique. These were be displayed in places like hospitals, plantation sector clinics child development centers and health clinics. The promotional activities continued in the following week, during Sri Lanka’s Food Safety week from 20th – 26th October. TV advertorials as well as print advertorials were produced.

Source: By Hemanthi Guruge, Daily Mirror, 16 Oct 2008 ; Global Handwashing Day – Country Updates – Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: water supply project to benefit 100,000 people

Close to 100,000 people living in the coastal areas of Ampara district will receive piped water for the first time thanks to a massive water supply project being implemented by the Red Cross Red Crescent.

Through the project, more than 200 kilometres of pipeline will be laid across Addalaichenai, Akkaraipattu, Ninthavur, Oluvil and Pottuvil towns, connecting households to mains water supply networks.

[...] This is the largest of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement’s post-tsunami water projects, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2010. The pipelines will supplement the existing small scale water networks in the area and will connect to existing water towers.

Construction work has already commenced on the 70km long pipeline network in Akkaraipattu, which is being funded and implemented by the Sri Lanka Red Cross and German Red Cross, who are also running a hygiene awareness campaign.

The IFRC will also begin a similar project in the other areas once construction begins on the remaining pipelines and water distribution network. It will also construct the 1,000 cubic metre water storage tower that has the capacity to provide water to the entire Pottuvil town.

Source: Patrick Fuller, IFRC, 24 Oct 2008