Water and Sanitation

Water Conservation

The depletion of once abundant water resources are occurring at a fast pace and India may face scarcity in a few decades, becoming a “water-stressed” country. This could result in food shortages and water scarcity even for essential needs especially in rural, non-irrigated areas that are heavily dependent on rainfall. However, with community education and involvement, measures for replenishing water stores that are effective and workable may be undertaken:

• Rain water harvesting: it can be used both for storing rainwater for future use and for recharging groundwater. Equipment can be installed on the rooftop or on the ground for collecting rainwater and runoff.
• Artificial recharge: is used to improve groundwater reservoir by creating structures for modifying the natural movement of water.
• Sustainable agricultural practices: education of farmers for using drip and sprinkler methods rather than flooding and overuse of water for irrigation.
• Minimize wastage through judicious use: do not leave the tap running while taking a bath, brushing, and shaving. Avoid installation of individual hand-pumps for each household.

Sanitation

An important aspect of water-quality is related to sanitation i.e. the disposal of sewage, excreta or faeces.

It is important on an individual and community level to recognize the importance of proper disposal of these potentially dangerous wastes which can contaminate potable water supply and enter food sources.

Less than 50% of the Indian population has access to adequate sanitation according to Planning Commision reports. The figure is much lower for rural areas where infrastructure problems are compounded by problems of access and awareness. However, even in urban areas beyond the access to household toilets, sanitation systems are inadequate with only 70 out of 300 Class-1 cities, having partial sewerage systems and sewage treatment facilities.

Making sanitation work

Sustainable solutions must consider local conditions, level of education and the economic costs involved. Low cost, effective sanitation technologies are required in the developing world due to limited resources and technical limitations. Many such options are available ranging from excreta disposal systems for small human settlements to larger scale sewage disposal and treatment options for larger urban areas.

On an individual level, sanitation can be ensured by:

• using designated toilets
• sufficient water to flush away feces through disposal systems
• proper and thorough washing of hands with soap    
  - after performing daily ablutions    
  - before eating and cooking food    
  - after returning from outdoor places like parks, markets, hospitals and other social engagements.

To ensure the best use of available resources, awareness and community participation is a must. This can be done by forming groups within the community to perform regular checks on issues of critical importance such as the quality of water supply, regular removal of waste from dumps and disposal of waste only at designated places.

Awareness can be raised by disseminating information about healthy habits through local media, displaying information at strategic locations and encouraging local schools to inform students who are generally receptive to information and often come up with novel ideas.

Shopkeepers and retail outlets must take the lead by assuming social responsibilities for the areas that they serve. They may take the initiative to generate an action plan for festering, long-standing problems e.g. if garbage disposal is irregular, they may first contact the local authorities, then think of small incentives for those who do their work efficiently, highlight both positive and negative efforts in local newspapers.