Bhutan: students to dignify sanitation

[On 19 May 2009] at Harmony, the centenary youth village, students and teachers from six schools in Thimphu attended the inauguration of a five-day workshop on school sanitation and hygiene education. “This was organised for exchange of ideas between students of India and Bhutan on health and sanitation,” said the head of comprehensive school health program, department of youth and sports, Rinzin Wangmo.

Addressing the gathering, Dr Bindeshwar Pathak, who is world renowned for starting the sanitation movement and improving public health, said, “Children are more receptive to new ideas. Students serve as media for spreading the message of sanitation in homes and influence their parents to adopt toilets.” Dr Pathak added, “But the mere provision of sanitation facilities is not enough. It’s the use of latrines and hygiene behaviour of people that provides health benefits. Dignity to sanitation should be taught to them so that they have no shame cleaning their toilets.”

The workshop will be attended by 60 students from lower secondary schools in Thimphu, school health coordinators and 10 school dropouts to discuss sanitation practices with ten students from Orissa, India, and 13 Sulabh international officials.

Addressing the gathering, the education minister Lyonpo Thakur Singh Powdyel said, “[...] sanitation today becomes even more pertinent, because the greater the level of consumption, the greater the level of litter and waste.”

Source: Sonam Pelden, Kuensel Online, 20 May 2009

Afghanistan: Thousands of schools lack drinking water, sanitation

About two million state school students do not have access to safe drinking water and about 75 percent of these schools in Afghanistan do not have safe sanitation facilities, according to UNICEF. “Only 60 percent of schools have water [on site],” Zahida Stanikzai, UNICEF’s water and sanitation expert, told IRIN in Kabul.

Drinking water and sanitation facilities are also insufficient in many other schools. IRIN visited Char Qala Wazir Abad secondary school in Kabul where about 9,000 students have only one hand-operated water pump. “When it gets hot hundreds of students rush to the pump all at once,” said Sharifa, a teacher at the school.

[...] MoE officials acknowledge the lack of drinking water and sanitation facilities at schools but say such problems are limited to only 12 percent of state schools. “This year we will dig 5,000 wells at schools which lack water points,” Asif Nang, MoE’s spokesman, told IRIN.

“[School] toilets are not clean and well maintained. The current design and location of toilets are not acceptable for children, particularly girls… There are no facilities for grown-up girls,” Stanikzai said. “One of the reasons that the girls do not attend school is because there are no sanitation facilities,” said UNICEF’s Jalalabad head of office Prakash Tuladhar. “It is very important that water and sanitation [systems] are built as components of the school programme. If there are no latrines, then it is almost certain that girls will not be attending school.”

Washing hands with soap, particularly after visiting the toilet and before eating, can reduce child morbidity rates caused by diarrhoeal diseases by almost 50 percent, according to UNICEF. However, the practice is poorly understood and is rarely practiced by families, especially in rural communities. “In most of the schools hand washing facilities are not placed in a proper place. There is a lack of resources to provide soap for hand washing,” said UNICEF’s Stanikzai.

[...] Diarrhoea-related diseases account for 20 percent of deaths among children under five in Afghanistan, according to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. Despite these staggering figures, there is no nationwide data about school absences due to diseases. UNICEF said it had been helping MoE to provide “safe drinking water and sustainable child friendly sanitation facilities and hygiene promotion” in 500 schools over the past few years.

Source: IRIN, 12 May 2009

India – Court notice to Delhi government on anti-scavenging law

New Delhi, May 8 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday asked the Delhi government to explain its failure to implement a central law against manual scavenging that provides for elimination of dry latrines and rehabilitation of scavengers.

A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan issued notice after the petitioner Safai Karmachari Andolan (Sanitary Workers’ Movement) was able to demonstrate that there were at least 15 dry latrines existing in Delhi’s northeast district with at least five people still engaged in manual scavenging.

The petitioner, in fact, through a government’s reply under transparency law on the number of dry latrines in Delhi, demonstrated that the state government itself has acknowledged existence of 1,085 manual scavengers in Delhi.

The petitioner earlier had told the court, on the basis of its own survey, that there were 14,479 manual scavengers to be rehabilitated in Delhi after their job loss following elimination of dry latrines.

The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act was passed by the Union Government in 1993 with an aim to finish the demeaning profession of carrying night soil on head and rehabilitate the scavengers.

The law also provided for appointment of an executive authority for prosecution of the owners of the dry latrines.

As per the petitioner, though most of the states have already adopted the law and are striving to achieve its aim and objective, Delhi, apparently under the impression that it has no dry latrines or manual scavengers in its territory, have shown no hurry in adopting the law.

In fact, an affidavit filed by the Delhi government in March 2008 “categorically denied existence of any such latrine from where scavengers lift night soil manually and carry on their heads to the sites of disposal.”

The government, however, had admitted in its affidavit that there are latrines from where night soil flows into open drains and scavengers push the night soil with the help of brooms and also sludge in wheel-barrows up to the disposal point.”

Upset by the revelation that the Delhi government considered demeaning only the task of carrying night soil by scavengers on their heads and apparently treated pushing it with broom in the open drain as acceptable, the court issued notice to the Delhi government for its failure to implement the anti-scavenging law till now.

Earlier on April 30, the court had also sent to district magistrates the details of over 2,000 dry latrine owners in over 25 districts all over Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan seeking their explanation for their failure in demolishing the latrines and prosecuting the owners.

The Safai Karmachari Andolan has been waging a relentless legal battle since 2003 seeking implementation of the 1993 law against scavenging and elimination of the profession, undermining human dignity.

Read More – Thaindian News

Indonesia: Environmental Engineer wins 2009 Goldman Environment Prize

The Indonesian island of Bali is mostly known for its beauty and tourism industry. But a large segment of its population, mostly the poor, lacks access to sanitation. Many many live the dangerous lives of scavengers in the trash piles. In recent years, an Indonesian environmental engineer put aside her well paid job to come to their rescue. In VOA’s weekly series, Making a Difference, is the story about Yuyun Ismawati and her struggle to improve lives and environment.

For Indonesian environmental engineer Yuyun Ismawati, this was a satisfying moment after years of struggle. She was awarded the 2009 Goldman Environment Prize in a U.S. ceremony for her work in the poorest communities of Bali. “I realized then, when people are empowered and trusted to help themselves they will succeed,” she said.

Almost a decade ago Ismawati was working as consulting engineer, when she began helping some of Indonesia’s worst slums with their waste problems. The government only collects about one third of the nation’s solid waste, mostly from high income areas. “Indonesia population is around 235 million people and 100 million of them have no access to proper sanitation,” Yuyun explains.

While Bali’s island beauty attracts tourists, Indonesians often come here looking for work. But many end up as scavengers, collecting discarded food scraps from hotels to deliver to pig farms. They risk sickness and she says the remaining trash is burned, spreading environmental hazards.

Yuyun and her organization called Yayasan Bali Fokus (Bali Fokus Foundation) negotiated with the hotels and the pig farmers. She persuaded the hotels to provide about 200 jobs to recycle much of the waste.

“Previously some of them were scavengers and now they are working as employee of a company. Of course, maybe the salary is not much different from their previous salary as scavengers, but it builds people dignity,” she said.

Later, Yuyun helped develop SANIMAS, a series of community-based sanitation projects for poverty-stricken areas which can be easily replicated. The concept has been introduced in India, Zambia and the Philippines.

Source: Zulima Palacio, Voice of America, 13 May 2009

India, New Delhi: Contempt notice to water board CEO on sewer worker safety

The Delhi High Court on [21 April 2009] issued contempt of court notices to the Delhi Jal Board [Water Board] Chief Executive Officer, the Vice-Chairman of the Delhi Development Authority and the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation for their failure to comply with Court orders to ensure safety of contract labourers from toxic gases during cleaning of sewers. The Court asked the respondents to file replies to the notices by May 28 [2009] explaining the failure to comply with the orders.

The Court also enhanced the compensation amount for sewer workers from Rs.1 lakh [US$ 2,000] to Rs.2.5 lakh [US$ 5,000] in cases of fatal injuries. The Court had in August [2009] passed the orders directing the Jal Board and other public authorities to provide protective equipment to sewer workers. It had also stated that the Jal Board and other public bodies would provide free medical treatment to sewer workers during illness.

Source: The Hindu, 22 Apr 2009

Bangladesh: School debate on safe water and sanitation

BRAC will organise a countrywide school debate competition as part of its awareness campaign on safe water, sanitation coverage and hygiene practices among the underprivileged population, says a press release. The yearlong competition will begin at upazila level from the middle of May [2009] in cooperation with Brac-WASH and Brac-Advocacy unit.

The objective of the competition is to create awareness among the school students about safe water, sanitation coverage and hygiene practices. The competition will be held in two phases — 1st phase, schools from 24 selected remote upazilas will participate at the selection round and at the 2nd phase, winner teams of selection round will participate at quarterfinal, semi-final and final competition at district level.

Source: The Daily Star, 08 May 2009

Pakistan, Islamabad: More sense needed for more water

Experts predict that the city’s water shortage problem is going to worsen, not for want of water but for want of sense. “If we don’t decide today how to conserve water, tomorrow our taps might run dry,” experts in the Ministry of Environment warn, pointing out that half of Islamabad is already on tankers. There exists no equation between water availability and use, they say. “Do we have an equation how water is used? Have local authorities carried out citywide water audits?” a source in the ministry asked. “We fear more than 50 per cent of the water put in the distribution system is lost due to leakage. What [is] the CDA [Capital Development Authorty] doing to plug these leakages and save millions of gallons of water?”

“CDA has no idea how water table is dropping because of the numerous private tube wells [...] Today, streams have disappeared. Sewerage water contaminates ones that have survived. There should be fines on wasting this precious source at car washes, for tank overflows at homes, and gardening etc.,” fumes Helga Ahmed, an environmentalist.

“CDA is building walls to stop rainwater from seeping through the sides ignoring the fact that the seepage goes to recharge aquifers. Blocking this natural system would take the rainwater into Leh Nullah, cause flooding and eventually go waste,” said an Environment Ministry official. [...] However, a source in CDA explained that the natural streams were being lined with concrete only at places where residential areas or major constructions are in danger.

[...] “Rainwater harvesting is the next renewable revolution. We can start with the President House or Parliament Secretariat collecting rainwater to irrigate their huge gardens,” said an environmentalist in the ministry.

See also the report of the “Seminar on Improvement in Water Supply System in Islamabad”, organised by the Human Resource Development (HRD) Society and CDA on 06 May 2009.

Source: Jamal Shahid, Dawn, 11 May 2009

Pakistan: Erra to spend Rs 4.5 billion on water projects

Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) will spend Rs 4.5 billion (€ 41.2 million = US$ 56.1 million) on clean drinking water projects in quake affected areas [in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and North-West Frontier Province (NWFP)] during the next one and half year. According to the sources the funds would be spent in the affected areas on potable water projects while state-of-the-art testing laboratories would also be established in Mansehra, Abbottabad, Battagram and Mingora.

Similar, projects would be implemented in AJK with assistance of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the local authorities.

Source: Business Recorder, 08 May 2009

India, Kerala: indiscriminate sand mining creates water shortage

Drinking water shortage in several parts of Kerala, especially in the high and midland areas of many districts, has become so acute that the inhabitants have to depend on water supply by private operators. The sharp fall in the ground water table, even in the embankments of major rivers like Pampa, Manimala, Achankovil etc, following indiscriminate sand mining, has resulted in the wells drying up even in February, environment activists said.

One of the major victims of these activities is the River Pampa. Sand mining has removed the sand bed, which used to remain as a carpet, exposing the clay soil in several parts.

Indiscriminate sand mining during the past two decades has deepened the riverbed [of the River Pampa] by an average three to four metres, while there are points where it has dropped by six metres. Consequently, the water table in the wells in the catchment areas and in the river basins also have fallen sharply to the surface water levels in the rivers, Mr N.K.S. Nair, General Secretary of an NGO, said.

[...] “In the absence of sand no natural retention of water takes place. Sediment deficient flow of ‘hungry water’ picks up more sediment from the stream below the mining site, furthering the degradation process,” he claimed.

[...] According to a study of the Kozhikode-based Central Water Research [possibly the Centre for Water Resources Development Management (CWRDM) is meant here], the water availability by 2050 in the rivers Achankovil, Pampa and Manimala would drop by 459 million cubic metres, 3,537 million cubic metres and 398 cubic metres, respectively. If all these activities were not controlled and regulated by the authorities the water scarcity in the State would acquire serious dimensions in the years to come; this is already experienced in mid and high lands in several districts of the State, they warned.

Source: G.K. Nair, The Hindu Business Line, 04 May 2009

India, Tamil Nadu: Movie highlights success in water management

B. Kailasam’s 55-minute long movie “Writing on Water” [...] captures a couple of success stories wrought in the last few years by the Change Management Group (CMG) [of the Tamilnadu Water Supply and Drainage Board (TWAD)] in the attitude of government officials and the resulting success in villages in the State.

S. Panneerselvam, an Assistant Engineer with TWAD, is featured in the movie as an example of a government engineer whose attitude changed with the ideas of the CMG. But when he was posted to the Endhal Panchayat, he understood the power of folk history and “critical design.”

“The villages in the panchayat had access to only salt water and people used to go to Tiruvannamalai town or nearby places to get good water. I heard an 85-year-old man telling stories from his youth about the local deity promising water if the forest around her temple was tended to,” he says in the feature. Enquiries with people revealed the existence of a well long in disuse. Constantly haranguing the villagers and the Forest Department officials (under whose jurisdiction the area around the well fell) about it, Mr. Panneerselvam managed to bring the well back to regular use.

“When constructing the well and the pumping stations for the different villages, we followed “critical design” ideas. We only built based on the demand and did not try to build very large tanks. We also collected money from villagers on a voluntary basis to make them understand that the well was important for them,” he says.

These stories reflect the importance of concepts that the CMG, formed by senior engineers from TWAD, Agricultural Engineering and other departments, advocates, says Dr. Suresh when participating in the post-screening discussion.

The movie, which was screened [at the World Water Forum] in Istanbul, right now focuses on the Pan-Asia Colloquium on Water held in Chennai in September [2008] and a couple of achievements of the CMG, Mr. Kailasam says.

But he adds that the movie is still a work in progress and the final feature would talk in general about the issues connected with water management.

Contact: B. Kailasam, bkailasam [at] gmail.com

Source: The Hindu, 11 Apr 2009