Water Quality and Sanitation

8/13/2019 Water Quality and Sanitation

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RISKS INVOLVED

The major risk, which urban centres ofdeveloping nations are facing is the the wrath

of nature. Overconsumption of natural

resources without any means or technologiesfor replenishing them have caused scarcity ofthese resources e.g. land, water and clean air.In addition, the process of industrialization

poses threat to eco-systems where theurbanization and migration of populations tourban centres has seriously impinged upon thebasic needs of human life.


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ECONOMIC GROWTH- INDIA

India has the second largest number of people in theworld. The Indian economy has been growing rapidly andthe 10thPlan (2002-2007) clocked the highest growth rate(7.2%) of any plan period to date.

While the large cities are bursting at their seams, smalland medium towns in the country are stagnating. Majorreason for such a growth in 1980s was a shift from agro-based economy to industrial economy.

This economic activity will continue to draw more andmore people to the cities.

Lack of priority to safe confinement and disposal of humanexcreta poses significant health risks manifest in thesanitation challenge facing the nation today.


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WATER AVAILABILITY IN INDIA If we look at the present scenario, we are leading

towards crisis. About 85 % of rural population inIndia is solely depended on ground water, which

is depleting at a fast rate. In the urban areasthough about 60% of the population is dependedon surface water sources, the availability of freshwater is decreasing fast and quality isincreasingly questionable. It has been recentlyestimated that by 2017 India will be `waterstressed' - as per capita availability will decline toaround 1600 cu m.


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HEALTH IMPACT

The global impact of lack of safe water,sanitation and hygiene on the communityhealth is enormous4 billion cases ofdiarrhea, 2.2 million deaths and 62.2 milliondisability of life years lost. According to WorldBank study, 99.9% of the mortality andmorbidity caused by unsafe water and lack ofhygiene and sanitation is in the developing

countries. 1.7 million children under 5 died inIndia during 2010 from diarrheal infections(22% of global total).


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LOW WATER AVAILABILITY -

HEALTH Analysis of data from 2011 census shows that around

85 per cent of Indias population is being providedwith safe drinking water sources. Even for thispopulation availability of water is of questionablequantity during summer. Many a time people have to

survive with less than half of the desired norm. The problem of low availability of water is increasing

as a result of excessive extraction of ground water tomeet agriculture, industrial and domestic demands.This low availability of water is responsible for as

many as 15 water related diseases such as Scabies,Lice and typhus, Trachoma, Conjunctivitis, Bacillarydysentery, Amoebic dysentery, Salmonellosis,Paratyphoid fever, Hook warm etc.


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UNSAFE WATER

Around 15-20 per cent of the urban and ruralpopulation does not have access to regularsafe drinking water and many more are

threatened. Most of them depend on unsafewater sources to meet their daily needs.Moreover, water shortages in cities and villageshave led to large volumes of water being

collected and transported over great distancesby tankers and other means. These are ofquestionable quality and mostly far less thanthe desired norm.


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DISEASE BURDEN

The disease burden due to water relatedvector borne diseases is also a serious publichealth concern.

On the whole disease burden related tounsafe water, sanitation & hygiene remains aserious public health concern and deserversmuch higher priority and govt. investment.

Quality of water in urban municipal watersupply system in India shows almostuniversal faecal contamination.


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IMPROVE FRESH WATER

AVAILABILITY We may improve fresh water availability

either by reducing the consumption or byincreasing availability of water. Sulabh

International Social Service Organization hasbeen practicing both the technologies toimprove the fresh water availability situation.


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RAIN WATER HARVESTING

Rainwater harvesting systemsuse the principle of conservingrainwater where it falls. Storedwater could be used fordomestic purposes or forrecharging the groundwater.

Traditionally these systemswere built to suit the specificenvironment in which theyevolved and worked efficientlyin different social, economicand political environment.

Theoretically, rain capturedfrom 1-2 per cent of Indiaslandcan provide Indias populationof 1 billion as much as 100litres of water per person perday.


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RWH PROJECTS

Sulabh International Social Services Organizationsuccessfully constructed and implemented therainwater harvesting structure in RamakrishnaMission Sewashram, Luknow, DIN CooperativeGroup Housing Society, Dwarka, New Delhi,Scindia School, Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh and infive hotels of Taj Group (Indian Hotels Co. Ltd.)at different locations to augment the groundwaterrecharge. Sulabh is also looking forward in thisdirection in near future. Most of the Governmentand institutions buildings could be suitablymodified for installation of rainwater harvestingstructure to recharge the groundwater.


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It is most unfortunate that while India is aspiringto be an economic super power, and aimingannual rate of growth of 7-8% of GDP, we areincreasingly falling behind in providing the basicand elementary service of safe and potable waterto the community. The impact on the health andenvironment of the community is extremelyserious as is borne out by the World Bank studythat India is annually losing 4-6% of its GDP interms of damages caused by lack of safe water,sanitation and hygiene.


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WATER QUALITY

SURVEILLANCE

Water quality monitoring and surveillancehave not received the priority that is deservesboth for urban as well as rural water supply

schemes. Only when people fall sick, that we came to

know about the contamination of watersources. This points to the fundamental

weakness in water quality and surveillancesystem in our country.


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WATER, SANITATION HYGIENE

INTERVENTIONS

Water, sanitation and hygiene interventions interactwith one another, and available evidence indicatesthat the impact of each may vary widely according tolocal circumstances.

IMPACTS ON DIARRHOEAL DISEASE REDUCTION BY

INTERVENTION AREAIntervention area Reduction in diarrhoea frequencyHygiene

37%

Sanitation 32%Water supply 25%Water quality 31%Multiple 33%


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Improvements in drinking-water quality appear tobe of significance benefit to health whenimprovement is secured close to the point of use.

The benefits of protected sources on water

quality and health are limited unless safetransport and storage can be ensured. Incommunity managed and piped water supplies,the value of focusing interventions on safe

management in addition to end product testing,as described in the WHO Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality, is widely and increasinglyrecognized and applied.


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WATER SUPPLY SYSTEMS

Poorly maintained ornon-existent hand pumpplatforms, inadequate orno drainage, poor

hygiene around drinkingwater sources and poorhandling of drinkingwater cause wide

spread bacteriologicalcontamination. This ismain cause of diarrhoealdiseases.


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SEWERAGE SYSTEMS INDIA

Even in urban areas, a very few towns had theprovision of sewerage in India. In 1960s morethan 85% houses used to be served by bucket ordry toilets, cleaned manually by people calleduntouchables or scavengers. People used todefecate in parks, sides of railway tracks, lanesand by-lanes and in the open. Public toiletfacilities were non-existent.

These are causing serious health problems aswell as are one of the major sources of pollution.


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UNTOUCHABLE SCAVENGERS

Talking about untouchable Scavengers Sulabhhave been able to change the attitude andbehaviour of Indians towards them. Theseuntouchable Scavengers and their wards weregiven education.

They were provided with vocational training onvarious courses like tailoring, embroidery,plumbing, electric trade, beauty care, makingeatables such Paadum, noodles etc. This helped

them towards self employment and earn thelivelihoods. The liberated scavengers had theprivilege to meet the highest dignities in thecountry.


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IMPACT OF POOR SANITATION

Poor sanitation severely impacts public health,causes premature deaths, diseases and imposeshuge medical expenditure, pollutes water, apartfrom the welfare handicaps that it poses forwomen and children, and differentially impactsthe poor. The World BankWater and SanitationProgramme study showed that inadequatesanitation caused India considerable economiclosses, equivalent to 6.4 per cent of IndiasGDPin 2006 at US$53.8 billion.

The poorest 20% of households living in urbanareas bore the highest per capita economicimpacts of inadequate sanitation.


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SULABH EFFLUENT TECHNOLOGY(SET)

Sulabh have been involved in treatment ofwaste water coming out of toilet in variousways. It had developed technologies for

digester effluent for hydrophonic, DuckweedWaste, Waste water treatment and SulabhEffluent Technology(SET).


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ENERGY FROM WASTE

Recycling and Reuse of Human Waste

I developed another technology for complete recycling ofhuman excreta through biogas generation and on-sitetreatment of effluents through a simple and convenienttechnology for its safe reuse without health or environmental

risk.


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CONCLUSION

Decision-making in environment and health in general,and in water, sanitation and hygiene in particular, involvesthe participation of many actors and different sectors.Competing demands from in situ (non-extractive) andextractive uses of water must be reconciled; industry,

agriculture, domestic use and the environment itself allmake legitimate demands. Costbenefit analysis provides objective information that

can support improved policy-making and decision-taking. As per WHO study, the estimated economic benefits of

investing in drinking water and sanitation globally shows a

total payback of US$ 84 billion a year from the US$ 11.3billion per year investment needed to meet the drinkingwater and sanitation target of the Millennium DevelopmentGoals.

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Water Quality and Sanitation