| Volume: 6 Month: February 2007
News from Secretariat
WES-Net Core Group
Ms. Prema Gera, UNDP & chairperson for ‘UN Water” is replacing Ms. Preeti Soni, UNDP in the WES-Net India core group. Dr.B.R. Neupane, Regional Program Specialist, UNESCO will be joining as a new member in the core group. Involvement of Ms. Prema and Mr. Neupane in the core group would further strengthen our activities. 14th Core group meeting of WES-Net India is scheduled on 19th February 2007 at SPWD office. Members are advised to refer the agenda, in case you wanted to add any new areas for core group discussion, please send a mail to the secretariat.
For more information, visit; http://tinyurl.com/2nc7ee
Visibility Materials
WES-Net has produced year planners and desk top calendars for the year 2007 for distributing to our members and other key stake players. On behalf of WES-Net India general body and core group members, WES-Net extents its heartiest thanks to Plan International, WaterAid, UNICEF and REAL (Dindigul) for the assistance given to produce these materials. These materials are being dispatched by the secretariat to members and others.
Research Coordination
Research Coordination initiative has been started by WaterAid to compile information related to research and studies carried out by stakeholders across the country. Therefore, we request our members to share information on the research and studies being taken up in the recent periods.
For more information, visit; http://tinyurl.com/2q8yq9
Database of Publications
The initiative of developing a database of publications and resources from the water and sanitation sector is taking shape. Dialogue with ADB is going on, and UNESCO has also expressed interest to support this initiative. A concept paper on this initiative has been prepared and shared with the core group members for their input.
Information Sharing
WES-Net has begun to act as an information sharing hub with number of agencies seeking its support to disseminate information related to publications, workshops and events, and vacancies. Also, requests seeking support of WES-Net members to take part in evaluations, workshops, arranging exchange visits to projects, etc., have come from many agencies. As part of these initiatives Arumugam Kalimuthu, Chairperson & Technical Advisor, Plan International, Mr. S.C. Jain, Deputy program Director, AFPRO, Ms. Shipra Saxsena, project Officer, WaterAid and Mr. Ramesh Sakthivel, National Coordinator WES-Net India will be participating WASMO Project evaluation in Bhuj during 12th to 15th February 07.
Meetings/Events
Discussions with UNESCO, Water Digest, World Water Institute, ADB, GWS and NATCO Trust have been taken up by members of WES-Net during this reporting period to discuss potentials areas of collaborations.
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News from Members
Kameswaram Tsunami-hit village becomes a Model village for Eco Sanitation (From Y.Babu, UNICEF, Nagapatinam)
Ecosan (Ecological Sanitation) concept is gradually picking up momentum in India ever since Mr. Paul Calvert introduced this in Kerala. Ecosan toilets are built to treat human excreta as a useful resource. In this approach, on site decomposition of human excreta is done until it is free of pathogenic (disease-causing) organisms. Thereafter, the decomposed matter is used as organic manure for agricultural purposes. Kameswaram, a village affected by Tsunami, has become a model Ecosan village with more than 100 Household centered Environmental Sanitation Toilets (HCRST) built by SCOPE with the support of Government and UNICEF. Ecosan toilets promoted in this area have also prevented contamination of the shallow ground waters present here.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/2kk9e7
Sustainable Community Owned Total Sanitation (SCOTS) (From Hari Subramaniam, ASM-Plan, Suryapet)
Usually, achieving total water and sanitation coverage in a tribal hamlet is considered to a formidable task. Dubba Thanda, a small tribal hamlet in Suryapet block of Andhra Pradesh, has achieved this feat with the inputs of ASM-Plan through the implementation of SCOTS approach. This case proves that replication of this approach, which consists of undertaking software activities before supporting the initiatives with appropriate credit and subsidy components, would not be a formidable task in other habitations/villages. Children’s club of the village played a pivotal role in the software promotion activity, which resulted in quicker changes.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/3726pt
New Products for Waste Water Treatment (From Muhammad Iqbal, Bio Envoir Pte Limited, Singapore)
Bio Envoir has recently launched two products called ACF32 and PEDAL GEN. ACF 32 can be used for treating sewage and effluents to reduce COD, BOD and Nitrates considerably. The treated water can be discharged into rivers and lakes without causing pollution. As the waster water stored in a pond or tank can be dosed for this treatment, no external waste water treatment plant is required. ACF32 can be effectively used to clean-up water bodies like Ganga and Yamuna. PEDAL GEN is a filter plant fitted to a normal bicycle that can be used in the rural areas to treat turbid and biologically contaminated water for drinking purposes. The pedal generator can produce 1000 Litres of clean drinking water per hour and needs no electricity to operate and it has been widely used during Tsunami relief operations. After every 10 Hours of operation, the filters can be cleaned easily which has a life span of 3 years.
For more details, contact Mr.Iqbal at trdhub@singnet.com.sg
Partnerships for Empowering Rural India through Water Harvesting (From Lalit Sharma, The Sehgal Foundation, New Delhi)
In its endeavor to empower rural India, the Sehgal Foundation is always looking for partnerships with well reputed organizations. Along with Navjyoti, an organization working on Women Empowerment in rural Gurgaon, organized a meeting of the governing councils of 35 villages of Sohna block, i.e. a Mahapanchayat in 2001 to discuss solutions for the worsening water scenario. The Foundation’s water management team was invited to this meeting to share our experiences in water management. An outcome of the meeting was the Abheypur watershed project in a consortium approach. As a result, the area is having plenty of water along with better management of natural resources, showing that building partnerships in the development process can lead to the empowerment of people effectively.
For more information, visit; http://tinyurl.com/286lgj
Massive campaign on civilizing toilets (From Bilal Hussain, SAVE, J&K)
SAVE conducted a month long campaign starting on the “World Toilet Day” on 19th November in four districts of Kashmir valley in which about 1263 people participated. Aim of the campaign was to educate and create awareness on the need for using toilets, especially among youth and children.
For more information, visit; http://tinyurl.com/2nbzb7
A Community Initiative for Drinking Water and Sanitation (From Thomas Sunil Augustine, AFPRO, New Delhi)
Offering freedom and supporting decision-making process of communities often leads to inspiring achievements in the water and sanitation programmes. Under the World Bank supported Jalswarajya Programme of the government of Maharashtra, many communities have utilized this space to build their water and sanitation facilities successfully. For example, people of Village Girevadi, located in Phaltan Taluka of Satara District, where AFPRO provided assistance to implement the water supply and sanitation facilities successfully, got the Nirmal Gram Puraskar by the President of India in the year 2005 for their achievement. Such models need to be taken up further at the grassroots, as they promote a cyclic momentum of empowering processes for solutions with psychological benefits like formation of village and community identities.
For more information, visit; http://tinyurl.com/3bbho6
Fighting the Commoditisation of Water and the Marginalisation of Bhil Indigenous People in Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh in India - A Multi-Disciplinary Approach (From Rahul Banerjee, AAROHINI, Indore)
The Bhil Adivasi Indigenous People of Jhabua District of Madhya Pradesh have traditionally treated water as a life giving resource and so have husbanded and used it judiciously. Modern man has treated all natural resources including water as commodities and in the process of extracting them for profit has marginalised and immiserised the Bhils. This has manifested itself even more so over the last decade in the mismanagement of water resources in Jhabua district and the costs have been sought to be pushed on to the adivasis. The Bhils have organised themselves to fight this injustice. In the process, these Bhil mass organisations have not only had to engage the modern establishments politically, but also learn its arcane procedures of "rigorous" validation of truth involving statistical analysis. This paper details how these mass organisations have used an innovative mix of mass political action and economic analysis to try and introduce environmental sanity and socio-economic justice into water resource management in Jhabua.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/2rwof4
Bio-Remediation at Flood Planes of Urban Rivers (From Ajit Seshadri, Vigyan Vijay Foundation, New Delhi)
Most urban rivers in the vicinity of the cities and towns are polluted, and the impacts of pollution are increasing day by day and definitive solutions are not being found. Due to these conditions, it would be appropriate for developing countries to try out sustainable strategies. Ensuring efficient functioning of sewage treatment plants through balancing of flows, recycling of treated waste water for bio-remediation in the flood planes of rivers, utilizing potentials of existing covered drains for generating bio-gas and digestion of sludge, etc., are some of the measures suggested towards this end. The riverine flood plane may be designated as a bio-diversity zone / protected landscape to take the shape of a resource reserve for the purpose of conservation and abatement of pollution.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/2mxqxm
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Press Releases
http://www.arghyam.org/
Narmada Pipeline Project Clogged? (Date: 04/12/06 Source: Premesh Balan, Pravah)
The Times of India, 1 December 2006, article highlights the findings of the report titled “Civic Monitoring of the Largest Drinking Water Project in the World” prepared jointly by Indira Hirway, an economic professor, Subhranshu Goswami, a research associate for PRAVAH and The International Water Management Institute.
For more information, contact; Premesh Balan at premesh@rediffmail.com
UP Polio Outbreak Linked to Poor Sanitation (Date: 08/12/06 Source: IRC Source News)
An increase in polio cases in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh is setting back global hopes of eradication. In 2006, by the end of October, 360 people, most of them children under five, had contracted polio in this state, compared with 66 in the whole of 2005. An article available at http://tinyurl.com/2nke85 in the Science magazine suggests that population density and poor sanitation may be a factor. India now has almost a third of the global total of polio cases. Almost all cases are in areas where sanitation is an issue and most of the children belong to poor families with poor nutrition.
For more information, visit, http://www.irc.nl/page/31861
WATER TARIFFS: A Fair Price for Water (Date: 01/01/07 Source: India Together)
What is the price of water to the supplier? What are people being charged out there? Where are our institutions headed in the balance between equity-accessibility and cost recovery? S Vishwanath looks at the example of Bangalore, and finds much room and need for improvement in water pricing.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/33ehx3
NGO to Study Water Bodies Rejuvenation (Date: 02/01/07 Source: AFPRO)
Coimbatore City Corporation has asked Action for Food Production (AFPRO), a Non-Governmental Organisation, to study the condition of tanks and canals in the city and propose measures to rejuvenate them. It will also have to work out the restoration cost. This is the first time the civic body is appointing a consultant to bail water bodies on its territory out of trouble - caused by encroachments, discharge of untreated sewage and the resultant growth of hyacinth.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/2l5w93
NHRC seeks Report from Delhi Govt on Quality of Drinking Water (Date: 05/01/07 Source: Zee News)
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday sought a reply from the Delhi government on media reports that the drinking water supplied to slum clusters in the city was not fit for consumption. The NHRC report published said that according to a study carried out by an NGO, hazard centre, 92 per cent of water samples collected from five slum clusters and six resettlement colonies were not fit for human consumption.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/3cyqxu
2008 - International Year of Sanitation (Date: 08/01/07 Source: UN)
The U.N. General Assembly has declared 2008 as the International Year of Sanitation. It requested the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs to serve as the focal point for the Year and to develop proposals on possible activities, including possible sources of funding. The Year was one of the recommendations of the Hashimoto Action Plan launched by the U.N. Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation in March 2006 at the 4th World Water Forum.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/35l84v
Struck by Fluorosis (Date: 19/01/07 Source: India Together)
Of 62 million Indians suffering from fluorosis, more than six million are children and young people. Among these young, nearly 20,000 are in Assam alone, and in Karbi Anglong, well known for its scenic beauty and thick forests, a tenth of the population is afflicted with dental or skeletal fluorosis. Nava Thakuria reports.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/2wewwo
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Publications
COMANAGEMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (Source: IDRC)
This book of IDRC by Stephen R. Tyler promotes the concept of Comanagement, which can be defined as collaborative arrangements in which the community of local resource users, local and senior governments, and other stakeholders share responsibility and authority for managing a specified natural resource or resources.
For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/3ylv6a
Multi-Stage Filtration (Source: IRC)
This Thematic Overview Paper (TOP) published by IRC provides the basis for sector professionals to become aware of Multi-stage filtration (MSF) technology and to learn more about it. It examines why MSF is a viable technological option and explains its advantages and disadvantages.
For more information, visit http://www.irc.nl/page/31601
Resource Guide: Mainstreaming Gender in Water Management (Source: GWA)
It contains materials on mainstreaming gender within the context of integrated water management, helping to access existing information. It aims to support previous efforts by consolidating the available materials. The guide is divided into thirteen water sub-sectors, to facilitate access for specific purposes and water uses.
For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/2p8ujk
Sanitation for all – still a long way to go (Source: SE-WES)
The book is a compilation by WaterAid India contains works carried out on sanitation across India by not only civil society, but also some GoI initiatives. For hard copies of this publication, contact Ms. Archana at archana@wateraidindia.org.
For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/32efnf
Successful Experiences in Municipal Public Water and Sanitation (Source: IRC & TNI)
The book presents twenty examples of successful public water delivery in large and small, wealthy and poor municipalities across Brazil. The book shows that similar approaches are used in many other cities in Brazil and in many cases have led to rapid expansion of access to water and sanitation for the poorest communities.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/3c5ecq
About Corruption and Transparency in the Water and Sanitation Sector (Souce: IRC)
This paper is a brief overview of issues, approaches and information. It is hoped that the reader will find this a useful resource which will lead to further reading, learning about experience and research and, finally, to action promoting transparency, honesty and preventing corruption in the sector.
For more information, visit, http://www.irc.nl/page/31982
CR-ROM – Smarter Sanitation (Source: ADB)
“Smarter Sanitation” is the key to cleaner communities. It is also ADB's new electronic toolkit that offers national and local implementers a range of ideas and practices for sanitation policies, financing, community participation, and options for technologies. The CD-ROM includes SANEX™—a high-powered software for assessing and planning sanitation systems. Get a free copy from water@adb.org
CD-ROM - A Collection of Solid Waste Resources (Source: K.Rajesekharan, KILA, Kerala & SE-WES)
The CD ROM published by Environmental Protection Agency office in the United States contains more than 300 publications on hazardous and non-hazardous waste. You can order the CD-ROM free of charge from the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP) [Request publication number EPA 530-C-04-002] by mail: U.S. EPA/NSCEP, P.O. Box 42419, Cincinnati, Ohio 45242-0419 or by E-mail: nscep@bps-lmit.com
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (Source: Ecologic)
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) provides the basis for concerted international action to mitigate climate change and to adapt to its impacts. The Handbook aims at providing an overview of the institutional framework as well as the thematic work undertaken under the convention. It targets governments, researchers, non-governmental organisations and others interested in the international climate change negotiations.
For more information, visit; http://tinyurl.com/39o6ff
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Events
Training Programme on Urban Rainwater Harvesting (From CSE)
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) announces a training programme on 'Urban Rainwater Harvesting,' a four-day training programme from 19th-22nd March 2007, at Anil Agarwal Green College, New Delhi. This hands-on programme will be led by CSE's Natural Resource Management (NRM) team.
For more information, visit: http://tinyurl.com/yfbe87
KABAAD SE JUGAAD AND ZERO WASTE MEET (From Shilpa Jain, SWARAJ)
From February 20-25, 2007, the Swapathgami Network would like to invite jugaadi-walas (those who make useful things from waste) and those interested in zero waste for a gathering to share and explore ideas at Chandigarh. A large part of the time is likely to be spent creating things by the participants. own hands. On the last day, February 25, open sharing with the citizens of Chandigarh on what they might do to create a zero waste city will be taken up. Please confirm your participation with Shilpa Jain by email at shilpa@swaraj.org or by phone: 0294-245-1303 by February 15, 2007.
For more information, visit, http://tinyurl.com/ypgyen
Workshop on Water Treatment Technologies (From Meghna Bhaduri, Water Digest)
Water Digest is organizing a seminar to share knowledge, techniques and models of possible water and wastewater management solution in it 1st seminar on 16th-17th February 2007, at Hotel Ambassador Pallava, Chennai on the theme "Paradigm shift in Water Treatment - Technologies for Water Realted Problems and Cost Effective Solution".
For more information, visit; http://www.waterdigest.in
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Vacancies
Senior Water and Sanitation Specialist
Organization: Water and Sanitation Program - South Asia / World Bank
Location: New Delhi
Closing date for applications: February 15, 2007
Source: DevNetJobs.org
URL: http://tinyurl.com/2keqtd
WASH Quality Assurance Coordinator
Organization: UNICEF - SWSM
Location: Raipur, CCDU / PHED Chhattisgarh
Closing date for applications: February 15, 2007
Source: DevNetJobs.org
URL: http://tinyurl.com/2tkhpb
Project Manager
Organization: Jal Bagirathi
Location: Jodhpur
Source: Naukri.com
URL: http://tinyurl.com/2l7bdz
Project Manager - Hygiene Promotion, Water & Sanitation
Organization: Save the Children UK
Location: Sudan (Upper Nile)
Closing date for applications: February 26, 2007
Source: ReliefWeb
URL: http://tinyurl.com/2lt7zr
Water and Sanitation Consultants
Organization: Atkins International
Location: Worldwide
Closing date for applications: February 28, 2007
Source: Development Resource Centre
URL: http://tinyurl.com/369m8o
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