Start Date: 2013-09-01

Completion Date: 2014-08-31

Technology Used:

GRAVIS would like to promote rainwater harvesting structure “Taanka with Bio Sand Filter” and “Household Toilets” to improve the safe drinking water and hygiene of the people living in thar area.

1. Taanka With Bio-Sand Filter
Taanka is a traditional method to store rain water for use of the family and the animals. An improved Taanka is an underground water tank of 20,000 liters capacity. The taanka gets filled up of water with an average rainfall of 150-200 mm (2-3 rains showers of 40-50 mm). The arrangement for inlet and outlet of runoff water from Taanka has been nicely laid out. Silt catcher has been properly built. As a result of this the Taanka was full in just two rain showers with clean water. According to beneficiary farmer, water harvested in the Taanka will be adequate for 5 members of her family and 4 – 5 goat/ sheep for 4 -5 months. Thus Taanka also provide an economic benefit and availability of clean drinking water at door step. Selection of the beneficiary will be done by the Village Development Committees, and the most poor and marginalized family will be chosen.

Bio sand filter is a traditional slow sand filter, which has been used for community drinking water treatment for 200 years. The biosand filter is smaller (about 1 m tall, 0.3 m wide on each side) and adapted so that it does not flow continuously, making it suitable for use in people’s homes. It is filled with layers of specially selected and prepared sand and gravel. The sand removes pathogens and suspended solids from contaminated drinking water. Bios-sand Filter will be installed in the beneficiary house who owns Taanka in their home, so that they can get safe and pure drinking water. Due to this, the contamination of water will be reduced and healthy and safe environment can be maintained. Improve ment in health status can be seen after this. Currently, GRAVIS is working on installing Bio-sand filter in many other areas to improve the quality of water.

2. Naadi Repair
Naadi (Village Pond) is an asset for the community. It serves whole community for a year and even more. Village Pond comprises of large catchment area, with a down slope to collect the water at one place. To reduce the scarcity of water in the region. Even cattle’s have also benefitted with the water availability from the naadi. Before, the demand of livestock’s were less due to unavailability of water in the region, but after getting water security, they go for buying livestock’s to improve the livelihood option.

3. Construction of Toilets
In the western Rajasthan, Toilets is not common and usual for all. People living in the villages prefer to go in the open area, which is somehow creating an unhygienic environment. Pregnant women, older people, & children are facing the challenges of not having toilets nearby their home. They have to go to and walk for a long distance, which sometimes gives a birth to mis-happening. This issue is facing by the communities from last many years. To improve the situation, an initiation of toilets has been introduced to reduce this kind of mis-happening and tragedies. GRAVIS has constructed more than 250 toilets in western part of Rajasthan. It has provided safe and secure environment to the beneficiaries and even motivated to the neighbors to construct of their own.

Phases:

Project will be implemented in 1 year in one phase.

Community Organization:

GRAVIS has always believes in making self-reliant communities, so that the sustainability of the development process can be ensured. Before, implementing any activities at the village level, we promote making of Community Based Organization (CBOs) i.e Village Development Committee, Water User Groups (WUGs), Village Health & Sanitation Committee (VHSC), Self help Groups (SHGs) etc. It is necessary and a need to involve them in planning and implementation process so that the ownership can be provoke among communities. 50 % of women participation is ensured to empower and strengthen women within the community. Group is formed with the community members belong to different caste and religion. GRAVIS field staff orients the communities about the selection of members in the group to form a strong representative who can work for the overall development of the village. In the proposed activities, we will ensure 25-30 % of community participation in the activities in the form of labor and local raw material.

Government Interaction:

Organizing the Training and workshops the project will help to interact with government officials regarding the project, so that further guidance and participation of them can be ensured. Technical inputs and coordination of government is ensured in each and every activity. In trainings and workshops we invite government officials so that, villagers can know about the government schemes and other facilities. The transparency and accountability can also be ensured.

Ancillary activities:

- Initiation of Bio sand filter will provide safe drinking water to the beneficiaries, which will help in decreasing health related issues.
- Taanka Maintenance Training will be given to the beneficiaries
- Staff Orientation training for maintaining the toilets
- Promoting Solar Lights in the Toilets, which will also used in a multiple ways in the home and during night times
- Village Pond catchment improvement in will help to retain more water in the pond, which will last to 8 to 12 months and serve the entire population of the villages.
- We will also give 5 plants to each Taanka beneficiaries, so that the nutrition level of the family can be increased (like, Goonda plant)

Other Issues:

-