India2007

This morning is our last project visit before returning to Delhi. It is spent at a school in Bhubanaswar set up by a charitable organisation for slum children. Here WaterAid and partners have helped secure water supplies by investing in a roof rain water harvesting system. This collects rain water from the school roof during the rainy season, filters it and stores it in large containers, enough for a few months' supply. In future they hope to increase storage capacity but this would require more complex solutions to ensure the water could be kept clean for longer. Children here have been given a voice by setting up a 'child parliament', and we are priviledged to observe them in session. There is a government and an opposition, with ministers for water, sanitation, health, education and finance. Questions ... read more

The merriment of yesterday could not have been more greatly contrasted than with today's visit. Nothing I have seen last week could have prepared me for the dire situation that thousands of people face in the slums of Cuttack city, living in extreme poverty. Many of these slums have been here for decades, expanding over time. Often they are on Government-owned land which is vulnerable to reclamation for growing industrial uses. Unfortunately, the government simultaneously represent many conflicting interests, not least the need to grow this area economically by encouraging the development of industry, whilst at the same time the welfare of families who have made their homes here in these slums, desparately in need of safe water and sanitation. Some of the slums are officially recognised by the government, whilst others are not. Slum-dwellers are ... read more

This is the last of the rural village project visits, as next week we'll be visiting slums. The village we visit today has recently begun work with WaterAid. Nick, Liz, Christina and I begin by meeting with members of the Village Water and Sanitation Committee to discuss how they locally address water and sanitation issues here. Each village in the area has an elected representative. The committee of eleven is deliberately composed of six women and five men, to ensure that women always remain involved and have an active voice - something that has not happened in the past. Meanwhile, some of the other supporters meet with a representative for water quality. I am surprised and impressed to find out that he has test kits for various physical, chemical and biological indicators of drinking water quality, ... read more

This morning the WaterAid supporters group head out to another village in the same area as yesterday, where WaterAid has recently started work, and we have come to help out with the construction of new latrines. I get stuck in at the Nayak family, where Bhagirathi, aged 34, lives with his wife Basanti and two young boys aged 10 and 7. I help collect water from the handpump and use it to mix cement. Two round pits have been dug, about 3 ft deep and the same diameter, each of which will last 5 to 10 years. The toilet building will be offset with a connecting pipe to the pits. After mixing the cement, the first step is to lay out the base row of bricks and start brick-laying, which is hard work in this heat! ... read more