Following the release of the new guidelines of the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS), the Jharkhand government has committed to provide all villages with sustained access to potable drinking water.
7 August, 2011 Dhaka, Bangladesh Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) India and Bangladesh Institute of Planners, Bangladesh (BIP) Bangladesh jointly organised a day long workshop on lake conservation of Dhaka on August 7, 2011, The workshop was attended by researchers, activists, planners, advocates and regulators from both Bangladesh and India. The meeting was a first initiative to influence the policy debate on lakes in South Asia.
Every Indian city, worth its salt, was known by its water body. In fact, localities were named after this wealth. It made the city, because, people understood the connection between these structures built to harvest rain and their drinking water.
This document from the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is to assist the Ministry of Urban Development, Govt of India in the preparation of policy guidelines for Septage Management.
In April 2009, the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation (DDWS) released the new guidelines for rural water supply namely the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP)
“Drinking Water for the Last Person” training workshops for Panchayats in Jhabua, Madhya Pradesh, 2011.
“Drinking Water for the Last Person” training workshops for Panchayats in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, 2010.
CSE started its work on water issues way back in the 80s, when it was becoming apparent that the water management paradigm based on exploitation of surface and groundwater resources even as it neglected capturing rain to recharge or for direct use would lead the country to a huge water crisis. CSE first focussed on pushing for policy reforms in the water sector to mainstream harvesting rainwater in both urban and rural areas. To support this policy advocacy, CSE undertook intensive and extensive awareness campaigns, capacity building workshops and informational materials. The outcome of this work was that there were supportive policy initiatives in urban and rural areas to promote water harvesting and all this was met with public support.
With growing urbanisation and industralisation India faces the challenge of providing clean and safe drinking water to all citizens. In the name of economic growth most rivers and streams are turning into sewers. As more and more rivers are getting polluted, the municipalities are finding it difficult to treat river water to safe levels and supply it to citizens. Policies and programmes for pollution control look at water use, waste generation and pollution in isolation and this piecemeal approach towards river cleaning based on creating expensive hardware for waste collection and treatment has not worked. The rivers run dirty despite huge investments.
Ousteri lake (Osudu lake) is one of the examples in the history of deterioration of wetlands where a long wait for the final judgment is taking the lake towards a slow death process.
Traditionally, water was seen as a responsibility of citizens and the community collectively took the responsibility of not only building but also of maintaining the water bodies. Since independence, the government has taken control over the water bodies and water supply.