ACT Internship on Sustainable Groundwater Management

Arid Communities & Technologies (ACT), Bhuj has set up an internship programme for graduate and post graduate students and local youth to develop expertise in groundwater management. The programme will enable 18 students to study water management issues in the semi arid district of Kachchh, Gujarat. The learnings would ideally become inputs to State and Civil Society actors in natural resource management programmes.

Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India with SOPPECOM

Society for Participatory Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM) has set up a “Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India”.  While the earlier phase, financed by WWF led to the documentation of 63 cases of water conflicts across India, the second phase, supported by Arghyam is aimed at evolving a long term perspective and strategy for its work of reducing water conflicts in India as a result of better understanding, dialogue and policy intervention.

Capacity Building for Gendered and Decentralized Water and Sanitation Program in rural Gujarat with PLC-Utthan

The project aims at sustainable capacity building and developing institutional mechanism at the state level for safe water and sanitation across 21 villages in the state of Gujarat. Support is being leveraged through the State institution, Water & Sanitation Management Organization (WASMO). This public-private model is geared to strengthen institutions at all levels through capacity building and promote & enable community based equitable drinking water systems.

Empowering Gram Panchayats for improved planning and delivery of WATSAN services in Orissa with InterCooperation Social Development (ICSD)

This two-year project aims to build capacities of NGO and Gram Panchayat functionaries in villages in Gajapati District, Orissa in systematic local planning using the Water Use Master Plan (WUMP) approach. It would create community awareness on environmental sanitation, provisions under various Government programs and to implement water and sanitation interventions in a transparent manner. 

Integrated drinking water, health and sanitation scheme in Rural Maharashtra with WOTR (Watershed Organization Trust)

The project aims at developing a replicable model of drinking water and sanitation project and to create awareness among community and school children on waste disposal, judicious use of water, health and hygiene practices. The project will be pitched in ten neediest of villages in the area. The project would mainly participatory planning, social mobilization, water budgeting, community led total sanitation and borewell recharge measures.

Tank Rehabilitation, Introduction of Rooftop RWH, Water Treatment & Ecosanitation with Dhan Vayalagam Foundation

Dhan foundation has set up a project to revive water tanks in the drought prone region of Rayalaseema in Andhra Pradesh. The overall objective is to build community consensus for rain water harvesting through conservation, development and management of natural resources. The project also aims to introduce Rooftop rainwater harvesting, bio-sand water filters and ecosan toilets at a later stage. 

Evolving Water Self Reliance through Surface & Groundwater Sharing & Management with Gram Gourav Prathistan (GGP)

GGP is launching the second phase of its Pani Panchayat Program, which will provide support to villagers to enhance supply and access to ground water. The project will promote community decision making systems based on Pani Panchayat principles to ensure equitable distribution of water and its usage. It also aims to form water user groups that manage community wells, one hectare irrigation per family. 

 Improving Agricultural Livelihoods of Marginalized Tribal Households of Bajna & Sailana Blocks of Ratlam District, M.P through Sustainable Groundwater Management in Partnership with Action for Social Advancement (ASA)

This project promotes participatory management of groundwater through construction and renovation of dugwells for marginalized tribal households in Bajna and Sailana Block, Ratlam District, Madhya Pradesh.  The interventions will be based on application of cutting edge geohydological studies and setting up of norms and practices on the same for sustainable groundwater management.

Revival of Traditional Water Harvesting Structures and River Revival in Rajasthan partnering with Sambhaav

Sambhaav has launched an effort to revive traditional water harvesting structures in villages of the Barmer and Jaisalmer districts.  Revival of Sakhatwali Nadi (i.e; river) in Alwar district is also envisaged as part of the programme.  The project is hinged fully on community based planning and implementation.

Facilitating the Panchayats and the Community in Achieving Complete Village Sanitation partnering with Gandhigram Trust in Dindigul district

Gandhigram Trust has initiated the promotion of complete sanitation in 4 Panchayats focusing on demand generation for toilets based on awareness campaigns.  The project also envisages easy availability of credit facilities to SHGs for constructing household toilets. Neither Gandhigram Trust nor Arghyam will provide any financial support for actual construction of toilets.  

The Grants team also supported the following events in the year 2008-2009:

Varanashi Foundation – Katta Workshop

VF organised a one-day Workshop with the goal of sensitizing various agencies including Government about the low-cost, simple water harvesting technology called Kattas locally. As a dissemination strategy a book with information on different low cost temporary Katta/barrage designs was released during the Workshop.

Annual Forum of the Water Community of Solution Exchange

The Water Community of Solution Exchange is an initiative of the United Nations Country Team in India.  Arghyam co-sponsored the Annual Forum of its water community which brought together lead practitioners on water and sanitation issues. This meet is one of the most important water events on the national calendar and assists the water community in setting goals and priorities for the future. 

Conservation of Umiam Lake, Shillong- Stakeholder Dialogue

A multi-stakeholder dialogue was hosted in collaboration with People’s Learning Centre (PLC) in Shillong on Conservation of Umiam Lake in March 2009. The Lake and its catchment are experiencing severe degradation and the shared learning dialogue brought forward issues in management and regulation across a range of institutions managing the catchment. A Plan of Action was also developed involving Government, Civil Society, Media, Educational Institutes, et al.