Safe drinking water, sanitation and good hygiene are essential to health, survival, growth and development. Even today many those who are marginalised are deprived of basic amenities. Through the years of intervention, CSPC has endeavoured to provide rural communities with access to safe drinking water and toilet facilities.
CSPC implements the drinking water intervention, which is the flagship program of government of India- Jal Jeevan Mission (“Har Ghar Nal Se Jal by 2024”). The geographies covered under the program are two coastal districts of Gujarat- Amreli and Bhavnagar.
The entire programme was implemented with focus on community. Community involvement and ownership is key to success of the project. Capacity building of community is of utmost importance at community level to deliver their role in implementation of the community managed programme. For achieving overall goal of building up capacity of key stakeholders, Key Resource Centre (KRC) are envisaged under Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM). Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell (CSPC) is one of the organizations selected as a KRC under JJM for strengthening and building up capacity at community level in Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission Program, enough focus is being given to water quality aspects. Given the existing issues of chlorination in rural water supply, the organization piloted a water disinfection system using the inline chlorination method for rural drinking water schemes in Amreli and Bhavnagar districts.
This system does not require any electricity and uses an inline chlorine unit with a replaceable purification agent to ensure appropriate and continuous chlorine dosage; thus, obviating any need for manual intervention except for the replenishment of chlorination agent. Hence for operational ease, the organization developed an innovative modified system or a prototype inline chlorinator using locally available components, which works on similar principles using a different form of purification agent (locally available chlorine powder or chlorine tablet). This system can be easily installed by a local plumber and operated and maintained by trained Pani Samiti members.
Till date Inine Chlorination Systems have been installed for 32 village water supply schemes in the project area.
Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell has been nominated as a Key Resource Centre (KRC) under the National Jal Jeevan Mission Program, by the Jal Shakti Ministry of Govt. of India. As a KRC, the role of CSPC is to build the capacity of the Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs) for planning, implementing and managing the village water supply schemes. During the training, the core focus is being given on Operation and Maintenance of the Village Water Supply Scheme. The organization has developed a training module on operation and maintenance of the village water supply scheme.
CSPC has been working in the area of Menstrual Hygiene Management with adolescent girls and women. The intervention has reinforced our understanding that there are many unaddressed questions in the minds of the adolescent girls related to menstruation, a perfectly normal biological process, due to socio- cultural taboo associated with menstruation.
In order to make the women and adolescent girls aware of the correct and scientific information and help them adopt safe sanitation practices during menstruation, CSPC has developed the separate training modules for women and adolescent girls. The field team of CSPC conducts the training of women and girls on these modules, having group formation in the community as well as in the schools.
As a part of the demonstration of the technology emphasis was laid on reduction in the unsegregated waste dumping impacting health and environment of the surrounding population and area. Waste was scientifically collected from 2000 households, was segregated and processed. The initiative also showcased production of various value-added products from the dry and wet waste.
Focus was given to activities pertaining to sensitization of the community members on segregation of waste through campaign “Karoge to Hoga”. Under this campaign, society and village level meetings were conducted in the catchment area where the door-to-door collection system was put to place. In February 2022, CSPC inaugurated the SWM site and initiated door to door waste collection.
