Project Summary
The state of Bihar ranks lowest in terms of the Human Development Index (HDI) and has the largest percentage of poor people and the worst indicators of health and education in the country. It ranks lowest in terms of overall sanitation coverage.
Against this backdrop, this project will demonstrate the importance of water quality testing to the government and Panchayati Raj system in order to integrate it into drinking water solutions at the state level. It will promote a scientific approach towards water quality and hygiene, as well as develop systems and measures for scientific water quality testing in remote rural areas with the participation of local youth. It will also link this work with government agencies and village Panchayats to integrate water quality and hygiene management into a larger state system. Finally, the project will dovetail into a larger, EU-supported program to reduce water borne diseases in north Bihar.
Outputs
- Water testing, including the procurement of materials for a water testing laboratory and recruitment of staff.
- Training of local youth in water testing and sample collection.
- Exposure of community leaders to the water testing laboratory.
- Sharing water testing results with the communities using print and pictorial methods.
- Calculating the financial implications of poor health caused by poor water quality and measuring the impact of interventions in terms of health cost savings.
- Post-intervention tests.
- Training and exposure of Jal Swasthya Samiti, ward, and Panchayat members.
- Preparing a database of water quality results for each water source and sharing these results in a public forum.
Duration
December 2011 - December 2014
Location
100 villages, 2 districts (Samastipur, Muzaffarpur)
Grant Amount
INR 48 Lakh
Direct Beneficiaries
30 Thousand
Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) (AKRSP(I))