WaterAid

• Title: Sneha (10) drinks water from an installed standpost in India
• Charity: WaterAid
• Country: India
• Photo Credit: WaterAid/ Srishti Bhardwaj

With the help of the local MLA, Girish Soni (Madipur), WaterAid India and EFRAH availed space to build a water tank in the land of PWD and ensured that everyday Delhi Jalboard’s portable tank will come two times and provide water to the people through the piped water system from stand post connected with tanker water. Apart from providing clean drinking water, community mobilisers motivated each household to maintain good hygiene practices, use toilets and clean them regularly and ensure their surroundings are clean as well. The anganwadi center provided space to conduct monthly session with adolescence girls and pregnant women on menstrual hygiene management and educate children on the importance of clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. The community has also learnt the importance of solid and liquid waste management (SLWM). They are now able to segregate and dispose the waste. It is interesting to note the involvement of community members so as to help and support in the overall objective of improving the water, sanitation and hygiene situation in the slum. As a part of the intervention, two community toilets have also been constructed by Delhi Municipality Corporation after diligent advocacy efforts with key officials and stakeholders. Moreover, some households have also built personal toilets at home. Raghubir Nagar is an urban poor settlement that is situated in western part of Delhi. The slum is around thirty years old. The total number of households in this settlement is around 1400 according to Anganwadi. The slum is situated on government land and now Delhi government is planning to relocate these families within few years. The community members of this area do not have any legal papers. They are mostly occupied in working as daily wage earner, laborers and domestic workers. The whole area comes under the observation of DUSIB (Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board). WaterAid India and its partner, EFRAH began the intervention with 200 households of Raghubir Nagar in 2019, with the support of Altico Capital India Ltd., a non-banking financial company. Baseline studies and regular on-ground visits revealed that the community experienced severe water scarcity. Since the last 30 years, the residents didn’t have access to safe drinking water and borewell water. However, fifteen years ago, the local people somehow managed to get borewell water for household activities with the help of the MLA, although the community still struggled for clean drinking water. The community had to spend more than two hours every day to fetch water or at least fifty to hundred rupees daily to purchase it. As a part of the intervention, the community was mobilised to take this forward. Soon, they organised meetings with the area MLA and wrote a letter to him and Delhi Jal Board. Their constant efforts led to the MLA approving the request and ensuring clean drinking water for the people. Along with that representatives of EFHRA, the community members went to MLA for availing a space on the land of PWD to build a water tank which is now connected with stand post through piped system.