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Three days (20th, 21st and 22nd September, 2012 )“2nd POLICY SUPPORT

BRAINSTORMING ON SAFE WATER AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION IN RURAL & URBAN INDIA” was inaugurated by Prof K B Pandeya, Vice Chancellor, M G G Chitrakoot Vishwavidyalaya, today at The National Academy of Sciences, India, Allahabad, in the presence of very distinguished scientists from all across the country. Prof. V.P. Sharma, Organizing Secretary & Past President of the Academy welcomed all the distinguished speakers and the participants (more than hundred), who assembled in the Academy even after all odds due to Bharat Bandh. Prof. (Mrs.) Manju Sharma, Former Secretary to the Govt. of India & Past President, NASI, briefly described the role of NASI in organizing such important events which are directly linked with the societal cause. She categorically emphasized that out of all three National Science Academies, this Academy (NASI) has acquired a unique character by directly linking science with the society.

Prof K J Nath, Technical Convener and Key-moderator, NASI described in detail

the purpose of organizing such a workshop. He said that one of the greatest failures of the last fifty years had been the failure to lay the foundation stones of public health in the developing world – environmental sanitation and water supply. It is a failure that today deprives hundreds of millions not only of health but of productivity. It is a failure that undermines the normal mental and physical growth of rising generations. It is a failure that pollutes fresh water resources with faecal matter and organic pollutants on a massive scale. It is a failure that condemns more than a billion people to live with a daily environmental crisis of squalor, smells, and diseases. And it is a failure that holds back the development of people and of nations. Despite significant progress made in the economic & industrial development, the demographic and environmental health scenario in the country continues to be a cause of serious concern. The traditional problems of water and air-borne infections combine with malnutrition and poor environmental sanitation to form a vicious cycle which is increasing the burden of diseases beyond the capacity of the existing health infrastructure and jeopardizing the productivity of society. Today, while the urban population of the country faces the environmental degradation due to unplanned development, concurrently the rural population continues to suffer from lack of sanitation and safe drinking water, malnutrition and ecological insecurity.

Prof K B Pandeya, Chief Guest emphasized that pollution of Ganga and other

national rivers is a serious threat to their survival. While the first five 5-year plan periods were characterized by relatively negligible investments in water supply and sanitation sector, it received a major fillip from the Sixth Plan (1980-85) onward and the launch of the International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade in 1980. In recent years, Govt. has launched several Flagship programmes like National Mission Clean Ganga, Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission and National Rural Drinking Water Quality Monitoring & Surveillance Programme. However, progress of implementation of these programme and adapted methodologies needs serious review and policy change. In the end of the inaugural function vote of thanks was proposed by Prof Krishna Misra, General Secretary, NASI.

During the three days brain storming, the participants witnessed a number of

illustrating, informative and mind boggling lectures which addressed many important issues directly related to water safety and sanitation. The sessions were divided into the following thematic issues - Rural Water Supply and sanitation: Key Issues and

Concerns; Urban Water Supply and Waste Management: Key Issues and Concerns; Water Resource Management: Coping with Scarcity; Promoting Sanitation and Hygiene; Restoring “Abiral Nirmal Dhara in Ganga: A Critical Challenge”; Chemical Contamination of Drinking Water Sources; Water Sanitation & Health: Epidemiological Perspectives; and Implementing Water Safety Plan for Community Water Supply Systems.

On these theme topical lectures were delivered by the eminent experts, as - Sri

Dinesh Chand, Additional Adviser, Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, GOI, Sri A.K. Sengupta, Director General, Sulabh International Academy of Environmental Sanitation & Public Health (SIAES&PH) and Former NPO, WHO, Dr. D.N. Guha Mazumdar, Founder, DNGM Foundation and Former Director, IPGMER, Kolkata, Sri N.B. Basu, Principal Chief Engineer ,Kolkata Municipal Corporation, Kolkata, Prof. Arunabha Majumdar, Emeritus Professor, SWRE, Jadavpur University & Former Director Professor, Dept. of Sanitary Engineering, AIIH&PH, GOI, Dr. Kalyan Rudra. Chairman, West Bengal Wasteland Development Corporation, Dr. N.C. Ghosh, Scientist-F & Head Ground Water Hydrology Division National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, Mr. Vijay Penagonda, Research Associate, Green Systems, India, Dr. Kamal Mazumdar, Technical Adviser, PHED, Govt. of West Bengal, Formerly Team Leader (NRC), Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Government of India, Dr. Nilesh Chatterjee, Head-Research & Evaluation, Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Centre for Communication Programme, Sri Chandan Sengupta, Chairman, Sanitation Task Force, P&RDD, Govt. of West Bengal and Former Project Officer, UNICEF, Kolkata, Dr. Vinod Tare, Coordinator, GRBMP Project, IIT Kanpur. Prof. B.D. Tripathi, Member, NGRBA, Govt. of India & State Ganga River Conservation Authority, Govt. of U.P; Coordinator, Centre for Environmental Science &Technology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, Dr. Bharat Jhunjhunwala, Former Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore, Dr P. K Seth, Chief Executive Officer, Biotech Park, Lucknow & Former Director, ITRC, Lucknow, Prof. Anirban Gupta, Dept. of Civil Engineering, BESU, Howrah, Prof. Sanjeev Chaudhari, Centre for Environmental Science & Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, Dr. V.P. Sharma,,NASI-ICMR Distinguished Fellow, Centre for Rural Development and Tech., Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Dr. A.K. Susheela, Chief of the Fluoride and Fluorosis Research Laboratories, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Dr. Indira Chakraborty, Chief Advisor, WSSO, PHED. GoWB, Former Addl DGHS, Director and Dean, AIIH& PH, MOHFW, GOI, Ms. Payden, Regional Adviser, Water, Sanitation and Health (WSH), WHO, SEARO, India and Dr. Nimish Shah, Head, Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Bangalore, Hindustan Unilever Research Centre.

All these sessions were Chaired and Co-Chaired by eminent experts and

administrators, such as - Sri T.M. Vijay Bhaskar, Joint Secretary, Technology Mission, DDWS, GOI, Prof S L Srivastava, Former Head, Phy. Deptt., A. U., Prof. Manju Sharma, Former Secretary to the Govt. of India; NASI Distinguished Woman Scientist Chair, Dr. R.C. Vaishya, M.N.N.I.T., Allahabad, Dr. S.P. Sinha Ray, Former Member, Central Ground Water Board (CGWB), Prof. S.C. Prasad, M.N.N.I.T., Allahabad, Prof. K.J. Nath, Expert Member, NGRBA, GOI, and Chairman, Arsenic Task Force, President, IPHE India, Dr. A.K. Srivastava, Formerly SIC, SP Gupta Hospital, Varanasi, Dr. Rajiv Sharma, IAS, Mission Director, National Mission on Clean Ganga, NGBRA, Ministry of Environment & Forest, GoI., Prof. Krishna Misra, General Secretary, NASI, Dr. P.K. Seth, C.E.O. Biotech Park, Lucknow, Dr. Rashmi Sanghi, GRBMP Project, IIT Kanpur, Dr. V.P. Sharma, Past President, NASI, Dr. Shraddha Dwivedi, Head, Community Medicine, M.L.N. Medical College, Allahabad and Mr. P.K. Agrawal, Special Secretary, CST, UP.

The session came to its fruitful end on September 22, 2012 at NASI, with Dr

Lalit Varma, Commissioner, Chitrakoot Div., U.P. as the Chief Guest; Dr V P Sharma, Founder of Malaria Research Centre, Delhi & Past President, NASI Chaired the session and Prof K J Nath, Technical Convener and Key-moderator, NASI conducted the session. In the end of the session Prof Krishna Misra, General Secretary, NASI delivered the Valedictory Address; and Prof Satyadeo, Treasurer, NASI proposed a vote-of-thanks. Dr Lalit Verma reminded that due to the contaminated water we face a loss of about 6% of our GDP every year; and remedies are not possible unless we develop area specific approach for developing multi-technological tools to get rid of contamination. Prof. V P Sharma emphasized that we need concerted efforts to cope with the problem collectively; and integrated approach must be adopted for that. Prof K J Nath stressed on participatory approach and invited research proposal to further investigate the problems of safe water & sanitation. Several other distinguished persons were present on this occasion, as Dr. Nimish Shah, Head, Safety and Environmental Assurance Centre, Bangalore, Hindustan Unilever Research Centre, Sri A.K. Sengupta, Director General, SIAES&PH, New Delhi and Former NPO, WHO, Ms. Payden, Regional Adviser, Water, Sanitation and Health (WSH), WHO, SEARO, India, Prof S L Srivastava, Coordinator, Sc. Comm. Programmes, NASI, Dr Niraj Kumar, Executive Secretary, NASI, Sri A K Srivastava, Dy. ES, NASI, Sri B P Singh, Dr Santosh Shukla and Dr Pavitra Tandon, AES, NASI, Dr Manvendra Tripathi, Dr K P Singh, Dr A F Rizvi, Dr Archana Pant and others.

Prof K J Nath, Convener, felicitating Prof. (Mrs.) Manju Dr Lalit Varma (Chief Guest) and others in the Sharma, Chairing one of the the Sessions Valedictory Function

A View of the participants during the three days Brain Storming on Safe Water & Sanitation at NASI

RECOMMENDATIONS As a follow up of the presentations by the distinguished speakers and elaborate and in-depth participations by the distinguished delegates, a number of recommendations were made. The Drafting Committee after reviewing all these, recommends the following action plan on some of the key concerns and challenges facing the country.

1. Introduction of Water Safety Plan in Municipal Systems Absence of adequate operation and maintenance of the distribution system, lack of preventive maintenance and intermittent system of discontinuous supply results in almost universal faecal contamination and frequent outbreaks of water borne infections particularly in the underserved / unserved areas of the vulnerable groups (urban slums/ peri-urban areas). It is recommended that the Central and State Govts. should take urgent actions to provide necessary financial and technical support to the urban local bodies (ULB) for introduction of 24x7 water supply system in a phased manner.

2. Introduction of Village Water Safety Plan

Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, Govt. of India should consider introduction of village water safety plan in addition to water security plan. For this, the Ministry, with support from WHO should identify 4 Regional Institutes in the Country for imparting training to the grass root level functionaries of “Block Resource Centre” (BRC) which has been formed under “Rural Water Supply Programme” BRC may in turn train the Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC) for implementation of village water safety plan. It has to be a decentralized approach.

3. Water Quality Monitoring, Surveillance and Household Storage and Treatment. A recent study present the revised estimates of population accessing safe water and predict that upto 3 billion may either lack access to safe water or may be accessing water that could be a public health risk. It goes without saying that India’s contribution to this huge at-risk population is significant. 3.1 It is necessary to carry out effective surveillance, monitoring and studies of

the various improved water supplies to identify the risks and to understand the types and distribution of microbial (bacteria, virus, parasites) and chemical contaminants (arsenic, fluoride). It is also urgently necessary to develop capacities and skilled manpower in the urban and rural local bodies for monitoring and surveillance of microbial and chemical water quality.

3.2 Given the poor quality of public water supplies, Household Water Treatment

Systems (HWTS) along with storage and handling of the same has become important in addressing disease burden. Against the backdrop of increased industrial and market interest in this area in India, with a view to protect consumer health, it is critical to develop a comprehensive, National Standard for microbiological reduction criteria for HWTS (PoU devices) that addresses all the different classes of microbiological pathogens (bacteria, viruses and protozoa). Such a standard should be made comprehensively applicable to purifiers/filters of all different technologies that make claims about protecting consumers from water-borne diseases. A similar approach should be adopted for chemical contaminants also.

3.3 The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) with inputs from the scientific

fraternity should define the 'protocols' that would be used for testing the purifiers for meeting the standard. Crucially these protocols should be designed with a view of ensuring purifier performance throughout its life and at its end of life. Govt. of India should consider fiscal support to the manufacturers for making such devices, affordable for the poor.

4. Chemical Contamination Of Ground Water

In view of the widespread contamination of ground water sources with Arsenic and Fluoride in many states of the country, there is an urgent need to make the people aware of the potential of ground water contamination due to chemical agents and health impact of the same. An emerging health risk is the use of Arsenic contaminated ground water for irrigation resulting in Arsenic contamination of dietary constituents. It has been reported that daily dose of Arsenic through water and diet to be more than 3 microgram/kg/day (permissible lower limit, Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, FAO, WHO, 2011). In view of the above, Govt. of India, should seriously consider lowering the permissible limit of Arsenic in drinking water from 50 microgram/litre to 10 microgram/litre. Further R&D studies on this issue are recommended.

5. Development of a sustainable water resource management policy with conjunctive use of surface and ground water sources at the macro and micro level. 5.1 The re-estimation of water resources, both from the quantity and quality

point of view needs to be undertaken, specially keeping due regard to the recent climate changes being experienced in the country.

5.2 Rain water harvesting and ground water recharging in a comprehensive scale throughout India are the need of the day. In addition to the efforts made by government sector, public – private partnership can bring fruitful results.

5.3 The issues related to the inter linking of the rivers in India was discussed at length during the Brainstorming. It was felt that though the project was designed with an apparently pious objective of achieving freedom from the flood and drought, but the same appears to be too optimistic as the proponents desire to achieve the hydrological equity in a country which represents wide geographical diversity. The massive structural intervention to alter the natural hydro-ecological system might prove to be disastrous.

6. Promoting Sanitation and Hygiene in the country

6.1 Though the present guidelines issued by Ministry of Drinking Water and

Sanitation suggest convergence of “Total Sanitation Campaign” programme with MGNREGS, there are serious doubts about engaging manpower under MGNREGS for the construction of individual household latrine (IHHL). For funding the IHHL it will be better to work out the whole process through banks, with some funding coming through grants and the balance as soft loan to the individual for the construction of latrine.

6.2 To significantly lower the incidences of diarrhea, the sanitation programme

should aim towards ‘open defecation free’ villages with 100% sanitation coverage. This could be achieved only by having communication strategy

based on people’s perception, culture and behavior. Each district should develop its own IEC strategy.

6.3 The MIS system needs to be re-looked to capture the actual coverage and

utilization of latrines at the Gram Panchayat level. If not feasible, it should at least be brought down to Block level from District level.

6.4 Scavenger liberation programme in the rural India should be taken up as part

of Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan. Rehabilitation of the liberated scavengers should be part of the programme.

7. Promoting Scientific and Rational Solid Waste Management.

Solid Waste Management has become a very complex and challenging task for the urban local bodies. The quantity as well as quality of solid wastes is getting changed due to technological advancement and consumerist behavioral change of the people. Hence effective solid waste management systems for Urban Local Bodies are to be developed incorporating source segregation, source collection, recycling, composting and secured land filling. Though conversion of municipal solid waste to energy may not be feasible due to low colorific value and higher moisture content yet R&D efforts may be undertaken to study feasibility of conversion of specific category of waste to energy in cities and towns.

8. Restoration of “Nirmal Dhara” and “Aviral Dhara” in Ganga 8.1 The Ganga Basin Management Plan conceptualized and developed by the IIT

Consortium envisaged that the restoration of “Nirmal Dhara” in all rivers of Ganga Basin will require comprehensive and major interventions for sewage collection, treatment, reuse and recycling aiming at zero discharge of pollutants to the river. In the discussion during the Brainstorming, the delegates felt that achieving zero discharge might not be feasible in foreseeable future, given the infrastructural facilities and man power availabilities in the ULBs. It is recommended if the targets and policies of the Ganga Authority are to be implemented effectively by the State Govt. and adequately maintained by the Local Govt. Authorities, a major capacity building program has to be undertaken in all urban and rural local Govt. authorities on the banks of the river and its tributaries.

8.2 Maintenance of minimum ecological flows (Aviral Dhara) in our rivers is a critical challenge as it often clashes with our urban, industrial and energy development policies. It is recommended that Water should be abstracted for irrigation or hydropower without creating a weir, barrage or dam across the river bed. Sideway channels or partial obstructions could be made as a second choice.