Policy and Programme Recommendation for Promoting

HWTS among Urban Poor

Development Alternatives

Contents

Introduction Access to water: Urban Low Income Neighborhoods

Water Quality – Health Linkage

HWTS Methods

HWTS Promotion Barriers and Enablers

Barriers to adoption of HWTS at SCALE

Programme and Policy Recommendations

Introduction

Access to water: Urban Low Income Neighborhoods

Dependence on Community Taps, Bore wells paid by MLA, and Tankers

Risk of water contamination – pipelines and drainage, tankers

Drinking water stored in buckets inside and outside houses (here space is a constraint) and where supply is inadequate

Inequality in consumption

Bhanwar Singh Camp, Vasant Vihar, New Delhi

Savdha Ghevra, New Delhi

Water Quality - Health Linkage

Health status of an inhabitant in a poor urban settlement, cannot be statistically correlated to one specific WASH attribute

National water quality testing programme of Govt of India, has been a non-starter in terms of most Indian states

Water quality data generated by government departments in-charge of supplying drinking water is not reliable

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HWTS Methods:Prevalent among Urban Low Income Neighborhoods

Boiling of Water is the most prevalent method

SODIS

Chlorination : Tablet & Liquid form

Filters : Biosand,RO and Ceramic Filters

HWTS Promotion

Enablers and Barriers: HWTS Adoption

Easy of Use is crucial factor that facilitate HWTS adoption

Health consciousness and belief

Support from local medical practitioners and ASHA worker in promotion

Long term engagement with community

Exposure to high and middle income families: status and aspiration

Diarrhea is not considered as a disease

Sanitation and draining conditions still the major health risks

Irregular availability at local of HWTS products at local level

SODIS seen as a time consuming process

Lack of demand generation for filtration

Barriers to adoption of HWTS at SCALE

Assumption that municipality water is safe for consumption

Absence of real time water quality testing results

Non-availability of low cost filters and chlorine locally on a regular basis

Policy conflict with efforts to promote piped in water supplies

Taste

Affordability

Policy and Programme

Recommendations

Ministry of Urban Development

Water Quality Standards (IS 105000:2012) should become a norm and MoUD should issue guidelines as presently they are only prescribed

Performance based grants to agencies responsible for water supply in States

Develop BCC strategy and materials for HWTS promotion until there is 24*7 water supply

Create conducive environment from profit and non profit organizations to market HWTS

State Government and Associated Bodies

Undertakes water quality data at p-o-u and disclosure of water quality data on public domain

Implementation of BCC strategy on HWTS with support of relevant departments

Promote institutional (schools)water treatment measures and promotion activities

Recognize local leadership at the settlement level and initiate rewards and recognition

Engage local NGOs working with state departments and inculcate awareness on HWTS as a regular activity

Ministry of Health

Inculcate awareness on HWTS as part of the School HealthScheme

Organise trainings and refresher training of ASHA andAnganwadi workers for promoting HWTS

Initiate rewards and recognition for ASHA and Anganwadiworkers

Awards and recognition to municipalities/wards promotingHWTS on lines of Nirmal Gram Puraskar

Supply of chlorine through ASHA workers through out theyear

Bureau of Indian Standards

Developing standards for existing and new HWTStechnologies – Labelling should be mandatory

Standards prescribed for rural and urban should be same

Standards for water supplied through tankers, unsealedbottled water should be developed and enforced

Discussion Issues

Sustaining HWTS efforts among BoP Population: Inputs for strengthening these recommendations

Role of different stakeholders

Steps ahead for taking these forward

Thank You