| Volume: 4 Month: October 2006
News from Secretariat
Initiatives on New Partnerships
WES-Net India's core group is actively exploring possibilities of forging new partnerships with various sector players within and outside the country. Discussions with the likes of IRC, WSSCC, ADB, CSE and Water Digest have been carried out during the reporting period. These engagements would provide a platform for WES-Net India to effectively undertake knowledge sharing initiatives through partnerships.
Updates on Wes-Net Website
WES-Net India website (www.wesnetindia.org) is becoming popular among the sector professionals within and outside the country. The website has been visited by over 6000 visitors after it's launch 3 months back. Members also expressed that the content of the site is useful and informative. More information will be collected and hosted at the site for increasing its effectiveness on a regular basis.
Updates on UN-Solution Exchange
WES-Net is the water and environmental sanitation community of the solution exchange initiative of the UN country team. As both the initiatives have grown phenomenally, the need for closer coordination and adopting a uniform working principles have been identified. Upcoming visioning workshop to be held for WES-Net was also discussed and it was agreed to conduct a meeting of resource/core group before the actual preparations of the workshop begin.
Meetings held/attended
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WES-Net members met Mr.Kamal Mazumdhar, Deputy Advisor, Department of Drinking Water Supply, GOI to share the progress at WES-Net and also to discuss new government initiatives, especially on the water quality-monitoring programme.
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A meeting with Mr. Sastry, Programme Director and Ms.Shipra Saxena, Programme Officer from WaterAid was held to discuss the research coordination initiative. WaterAid has prepared a concept note and will initiate the activity soon.
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WES-Net members participated in the consultations organised by SPWD on "Role of Wastelands in Enhancing Livelihood Opportunities of the Rural Population".
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Mr. T.R.Ramachandran, Senior Manager of CSE and WES-Net India members met at CSE's office to explore areas of collaboration. Further discussions with key members of CSE will be taken up in the coming period to discuss detail modalities of the partnership.
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Ms. Meghna Bhaduri, Managing Editor of Water Digest, a bi-monthly publication of the water sector, met WES-Net India members to explore possible areas of collaboration. Water Digest requested WES-Net India to disseminate the announcement on the Water Awards to its members and to other sector stake holders.
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News from Members
New Publication of WATSAN Resource Materials (From Arumugam Kalimuthu, Plan International)
Rural Education and Action for Liberation (REAL), a NGO working in Tamil Nadu, and Plan International (India) have jointly published resource materials on WATSAN issues. The resource materials include posters, flip chart and a booklet on low cost toilet construction. These are available in English and Tamil, and will shortly be available in other languages also.
Visit WES-Net India website for soft copy @ http://tinyurl.com/jubyz (or) for printed version email to kalimuthu.Arumugam@plan-international.org
National Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Programme (Based on an interview with Dr. K. Mazumdar, RGNDWM, GOI)
The Govt. of India has recently launched "National Drinking Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance Programme" to establish a systematic water quality monitoring regime for testing all drinking water sources across the country. Water supply departments (PHED), with the active involvement of Health Departments, PRIs and NGOs, will carry out the programme across the country. There are more than 2.17 lakhs habitations affected by water quality problems in the country. The programme aims to introduce a systematic and regular testing regime to avert health risks occurring due to poor water quality, especially bacteriological contamination, in addition to fluoride, iron, arsenic, etc, at a local level. Several workshops and meetings are being organised at the national and state levels to assist State Governments. The Ministry has also recommended few models of portable water quality test kits based on an evaluation conducted with the support of UNICEF along with detailed guidelines of the programme.
Reference Documents:
Ensuring Equitable Distribution of Benefits in Watershed Development Programmes (From Rahul Banerjee, Indore)
Jhabua District located in the Western Madhya Pradesh region of India, largely populated by Bhil adivasi (indigenous people) peasants, is typical of other such adivasi regions of the country where fragmentation of landholdings coupled with neglect of dry land agriculture has severely jeopardised the livelihoods of people and forced them to further mine their immediate environment for subsistence. In such a scenario, systematic watershed development work is further hindered as the rich people also control the common property resources. SAMPARK, a NGO working in the region, creatively addressed these issues through inspiring communitarian problem solving initiatives.
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/q3j2t
Road to Sanitation, Hygiene and Development: Bhagiapura Shows the (From Shipra Saxena, WaterAid)
Bhagiapura, a village located in lowly Ambah Block of Morena District in Madhya Pradesh, has achieved a rare distinction of being one of the total sanitation villages in the Country. Dharti, a local NGO, was instrumental in guiding the people of Bhagiapura to achieve this rare feat with the assistance of WaterAid. This case study highlights how community based consultation processes have led to this phenomenal change in the lives of people.
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/mbzsx
Pravah's Update on Surat Floods (From Premesh Balan, Pravah, Gujarat)
Pravah, a network organisation involved in promotion of drinking water and sanitation, played a crucial role in the flood-affected areas of Surat city. The situation was worse initially and improved as Government and other agencies geared up the relief operations. Members of Pravah participated in the relief operations with available resources and actively involved themselves in the coordination and consultation processes with Government, WASMO, Janpath and other NGOs to ensure effective relief and rehabilitation process. Pravah expresses its sincere thanks to all the agencies and individuals who took special interest in the relief and rehabilitation process by contributing financially or through other forms of support.
Regenerating Homestead Water Systems using Sunlight, Rainwater and Biodiversity (From Terry Thomas, Planet Kerala)
PLANET Kerala's participatory learning and action initiatives in the coastal and wetland areas aim to address the issues around water holistically by utilizing rainwater harvesting, sunlight and biodiversity. The method involves treatment of contaminated water using solar panels for drinking purposes, recharging wells/ground water by runoff water obtained from rooftops and homestead lands and promotion of diversified vegetation for phytoremediation in the area involving local communities.
For more information visit,
Total Sanitation Campaign in Maharastra (From Smita, SSP, Mumbai)
Total community sanitation campaign pioneered by Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), since 2003, has resulted in over 100 villages and 15,000 families living in open defecation free villages in Maharatra state. SSP capitalised the opportunity of "Clean Village Competitions" promoted by the Maharastra Government to address issues like environmental sanitation, water harvesting, personal hygiene, child health and school enrolment in these villages. Apart from working through Women's Self Help Groups (SHGs), SSP has also created a Community Learning Agency "Shikwa", a business model with over 150 paraprofessionals and tools for transfer across four districts for scaling up knowledge management on total sanitation promotion. This initiative has benefited over 520 villages and 350 officials from 16 districts across the state.
For more details visit http://tinyurl.com/ksvma
Save Diminishing Wular Lake of Kashmir Valley (From Bilal Hussain, SAVE, J&K)
Wular Lake, largest freshwater lake of Asia, might soon be missed from the world records, if the indiscriminate degradation due to siltation by soil erosion, water pollution and human encroachment of the lake continues. Today, the lake's area has alarmingly reduced to 189 Sq.Km from its area of 210Sq.Km in the sixties. The lake, of fluvial origin formed due to ox-bows of Jehlum River, plays a very important role in the Kashmir Valley's hydrological system. The lake is also home for rare migratory birds across the globe including Marbled Teal, Pallas's Fish-eagle, Coot, European Roller and many others. Among them, Marbled Teal and Pallas's Fish-eagle are in the Red list of IUCN. Therefore, to maintain the ecological balance of the region, Government must take up immediate steps to protect the Wular and many other lakes from degradation with the assistance of International Agencies.
For more details contact; Bilal Ahmad Pandow, SAVE, Srinagar, K&K
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Press Releases
Nothing Unscientific About it (Date: 12/08/06 Source: India Togather)
While scientific establishment remain highly sceptical about organic methods, Dr. Tarak Kate and his colleagues at a Wardha-based NGO have collected data systematically, to negate the charge that this alternative is unscientific and unproven.
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/lbok3
INDIA: Empowering People and Accountability Needed, says World (Date: 24/08/06 Source: IRC Source News)
It is essential for India's rapidly growing economy to improve the delivery of core public services such as health care, education, power and water supply to all its citizens. This means empowering its people to demand better services through reforms that create more effective systems of public sector accountability, writes the World Bank in: The India Development Policy Review 2006 titled "Inclusive Growth and Service Delivery: Building on India's Success".
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/huoqz
Urban Myth - India's Largest Urban Renewal Initiative (Date:24/08/2006 Source: CSE News)
Lured by a Rs.100,000 crore (US$ 20,000 million) budget, cities scrambled to produce development plans overnight for the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal mission. Within three months of the scheme's launch, 23 projects had been approved. However, the programme looks all set to promote the wrong kind of growth in cities, perpetuating the problems it claims to solve.
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/pbyzo
All Schools to have Drinking Water Facility by March 2007 (Date 30/08/06 Source: Jansamachar)
The Department of Drinking Water Supply has decided that all the schools of the country must have drinking water facility by 31.3.2007. State secretaries of Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Chattisgarh have assured that within the given time-frame they would be able to achieve the target. However, the ministry is concerned by the under utilisation and slow progress of implementation of different schemes in many states.
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/qt3ky
Waste Management: Resettlement Colony in Bawana Shows the Way (Date: 03/09/2006 Source: Toxics Link)
Toxics Link is carrying out waste management programme in the resettlement colony of Bawana under a joint programme of the UNDP and the National Institute for Urban Affairs. "When we started work there, people were just not bothered about the garbage outside their house and children would be playing amid the waste, leading to diseases. But now one can see a huge transformation," said Mohammad Tariq, Programme Officer at Toxics Link.
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/logsm
Protect and Restore Natural Lakes: SC (Date: 14/09/06 Source: IATP right-to-water)
A Supreme Court Bench comprising Justices S B Sinha and Dalveer Bhandari said: "Natural water storage resources are not only required to be protected but also steps are required to be taken for restoring the same if it has fallen in disuse" in a case filed challenging the decision of Okkiam Thoraipakkam Panchayat Union in Kerala to allow construction of a shopping complex on an abandoned village tank. The Supreme Court has declared that protection of natural lakes and ponds is akin to honouring the most basic fundamental right - the right to life, which is guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.
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Publications
Meeting the MDG drinking-water and sanitation target: the urban and rural challenge of the decade (WHO)
Achieving the MDG drinking water and sanitation target poses two major challenges: a rapid pace of urbanization, which requires a major effort even to keep up the current coverage levels; a huge backlog of rural people un-served with basic sanitation and safe drinking water, which calls for an intensive mobilization of resources to reduce the vast coverage gap between urban and rural populations, according to this report.
Download the report from URL: http://tinyurl.com/rupxt
WASH Library on Water Sanitation and Health (CD-ROM)
A compendium of information on water, sanitation and health - 4th Edition May 2006, Water for Health Global CD ROM is a practical library contributing towards the International Decade for Action "Water for Life":2005-2015.
Contact: WHO at phedoc@who.int
United Nations World Water Development Report 2 - Water, a Shared Responsibility
This report contains a comprehensive assessment of the world's freshwater resources. It is also available in the form of an interactive version of CD-ROM.
For more information visit www.unesco.org.water/wwap or to order a copy visit www.unesco.org/publishing
Knowledge Management for Change (CD-ROM) - A compilation for WSP Publications
The CD ROM released by WSP contains its important publications till date.
Visit WSP website at www.wsp.org to down load individual documents or Email info@wsp.org
Resources on IWRM New release
Cap-Net and GWP jointly developed a CD-ROM with a wealth of training materials, tools, experiences on IWRM that can also be found on the websites of ToolBox and Cap-Net. The CD can be ordered at: info@cap-net.org and/or toolbox@gwpforum.org
COMMUNITIES, LIVELIHOODS AND NATURAL RESOURCES- Action Research and Policy Change in Asia
This book brings together an impressive set of action research studies [that] are clearly written and understandable. Both researchers and practitioners concerned with rural development will find the book to be a valuable source of lessons and inspiration.
For more details visit http://tinyurl.com/pv3z2
Guidelines for the Safe Use of Wastewater, Excreta and Greywater (third edition)
To protect public health and facilitate the rational use of wastewater and excreta in agriculture and aquaculture WHO has developed the guidelines for wastewater use in agriculture and aquaculture.
For more information visit http://tinyurl.com/rnfa4
Home Hygiene in Developing Countries - WSSCC & IFH
This book has been developed with the objective of providing practical support for the development of community hygiene promotion programmes aimed at reducing the burden of infectious diseases across the social spectrum in developing countries. It includes key messages to be communicated in a simple, practical language in order to be understood by people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
For more details visit http://tinyurl.com/s5yol
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Events
International Conference on Public Private Partnership in Water Sector (Source:Dr.Y.B.Katpatal, IWWA)
Nagpur centre of Indian Water Works Association in association with Government of Maharashtra , Nagpur Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra Jeevan Pradhikaran and Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology, Nagpur is organising a "International Conference on Public Private Partnership (PPP) in water and sanitation sector" during 10-11, November, 2006 in Nagpur. The purpose is also to address the issues in its totality and to determine the workable processes whereby the needs of various users are promoted in strategies that encourage PPP in providing of water supply and sanitation services.
For more details visit http://tinyurl.com/l99rh
Delhi Sustainable Development Summit 2007 (source:SciDevNet)
The summit, proposed to be organised by TERI during 22-24, January, 2007 at New Delhi, will specially focus on exploring the natural resource dimensions of sustainable development. The incessant depletion of natural resources, both a cause and consequence of varied forms of human deprivation, will be examined at length during the deliberations. The event will thus emphasise the need for appropriate natural resource management in order to finally harness sustainable development pathways.
For more details visit http://tinyurl.com/prf66
Promoting Participation and Empowerment in Development/NRM (Source:IRMA)
This open programme aims to provide inputs related to participation and empowerment in Development/NRM conducted by IRMA, Anand, Gujarat during 20-24 November, 2006.
For more details visit http://tinyurl.com/rjqv8
For information on more events,
visit http://wesnetindia.org/workshop_events.php
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Vacancies
Programme Officers
Organization: Centre for Environment Education (CEE)
Location: Ahmedabad
ceesouth@ceeindia.orgClosing Date for Applications: October 16, 2006
Source: DevNetJobsIndia.org
Expert - Action plan/Micro-plan/Perspective plan Developer / Watershed management
Organization: Swapnil Education Society
Location: Bhopal, M.P
Closing Date for Applications: October 10, 2006
Source: DevNetJobsIndia.org
Environmental Specialist - Coastal Cities Environmental Sanitation Project (CCESP)
Location: Vietnam
Closing date for applications: 31 October 2006
Source: Australian Development Gateway
Solid Waste Specialist - Coastal Cities Environmental Sanitation Project (CCESP)
Location: Vietnam
Closing date for applications: 31 October 2006
Source: Australian Development Gateway
For information on more vacancies,
visit http://wesnetindia.org/vacancies.php
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