| Sl. No. | Project | Brief description |
| 1 | Household Rainwater Harvesting | Focuses on installing RWH structures in 250 households in Bodhgaya district, Bihar to supplement the water requirements. The water levels are going down during summer months resulting in shortages. RWH is introduced in this area as one of the domestic water management options |
| 2 | RWH in Schools | These schools have high level of Fluoride and hence RWH is tried as an effective option to ensure safe drinking water for students. The project also aims at sensitizing the students |
| 3 | Water related Research | Research grant provided to 2 Ph.D students at University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore through Krishi Vidya Niranatara, an organisation committed to help meritorious students to pursue agricultural research. One of the students is working on low water consuming/aerobic rise cultivar while the other is involved in developing protocols for using human waste (urine & excreta) as manure that gets collected in a ecological sanitation toilets. |
| 4 | "Water for All"- Holistic Water Management | Partnering with Development Alternative, Arghyam seeks to develop 10 villages in the Bundelkhand region (5 in U.P & 5 in M.P.) on a watershed basis focusing on improving the domestic water availability. Half of the funds required for the holistic development will be accessed from the Govt and communities. |
| 5 | Integrated Domestic Water Management | The project focuses on improving access to domestic water & sanitation facilities in three villages in Karnataka partnering with MYRADA. The salient features of the project are scientific estimation of withdrawal & planning the recharge structures accordingly, universalisation of sanitation & promoting ecosan units, piped water supply with metering to households, rooftop RWH as a supplementary source of domestic water and developing local systems for management including cost recovery. |
| 6 | RWH in Flood-prone Bihar | This is campaign led by Mr. Eklavya Prasad in North Bihar involving 4 local NGOs to popularize RWH as a solution for domestic water during flooding since people suffer due to lack of safe water during floods. The temporary shelters are used as catchments for collecting water. Demonstration units are set up at 80 places coupled with Jal Samvad Yatra |
| 7 | NGOs' Capacity Building | Arghyam is providing a corpus fund to Samaj Pragati Sahayog recognizing their role in building the capacities of a large number of NGOs in natural resource management and watershed development. Arghyam also uses SPS's expertise for developing training material for the water portal |
| 8 | Sachetana Fluoride Mitigation Project | The hardware component of the project is funded by RD & PR Dept, GoK and implemented by BIRD-K while Arghyam is supporting a variety of activities like documentation, awareness raising & capacity building, testing alternate systems of medicine etc. The project is implemented in 60 villages spread across three districts of Karnataka |
| 9 | Understanding Groundwater through Action Research | This three-year project taken up by ACWADAM, Pune is funded by Arghyam. Scientific understanding of groundwater & developing protocols for its management at a regional scale is the major focus. The project also attempts to broad base the discussion on groundwater among NGOs, Researchers & Policy makers |
| 10 | Suvarna Jala- Partnering with the GoK for better utilization | Arghyam has created a network of NGOs in 8 districts for assisting the GoK in better implementation of RWH in Schools, funded by the RD & PR Dept. The network members visit each school and facilitate in creating awareness & building ownership among the user groups. Useful data is also collected from these schools which is analyzed and shared with the RDPR which in turn would lead to mid-course correction in the programme |
| 11 | Sustainable WASH Initiative-Gramalaya | The project focuses on providing protected water which will be managed by the village Panchayat & women federations. Hence, sanitation, waste water management, solid waste management etc. are important aspects of the project. The funds for building the toilets and water supply system are accessed from the Govt. 158 villages in 28 Panchayats will be covered in Thottiam block of Tiruchirapalli district. |
| 12 | Support to Akash Ganga Trust for managing the Chennai Rain Centre | The Rain Centre is a repository of knowledge on various RWH models/demo units with rain simulation. This Centre, headed by Mr. Sekhar Raghavan, is actively involved in creating awareness among the citizens of Chennai on rooftop RWH & groundwater recharge and also provides technical assistance for constructing the structures. Arghyam is providing funds to cover the administrative cost of the Centre for two years |
| 13 | Translating a book on Indigenous Water Harvesting Practices in Karnataka -CDL | In 2005-06, CDL undertook the research, compilation and documentation of 20 traditional practices in water conservation in Karnataka. Each of the systems is based on local practices, which have not only sustained communities through centuries, but also ensured that water continued to be managed and conserved - in an equitable manner. Arghyam is supporting CDL in translating this Kannada book into English so that this wealth of information could be shared with larger audience. In addition, both the versions will be put on the portal for better dissemination. |
| 14 | RWH & Household Water Treatment-Gomukh Trust | This project aims to secure adequate and potable drinking water for the residents of Sulibhanjan and Nandrabad in Aurangabad district. Promoting rooftop RWH and household water treatment are important components of the project. Gomukh Trust is the implementing partner. |
| 15 | Workshop on IBRM & Enabling Legislative Instruments-organized by Gomukh Trust | Integrated River Basin Management and Integrated Water Resources Management approaches are being increasingly accepted as tools to promote efficient water management. Maharashtra has come up with some pioneering water sector reforms. Noteworthy amongst these is the Maharashtra Management of Irrigation Systems by Farmers Act (MMISF), 2004 and the Maharashtra Water Resources Regulatory Authority Act (MWRRA) 2005. MMISF, which provides for the transfer system management to Water User Associations (WUAs), volumetric pricing and bulk water supply to WUAs only, has been welcome by all sectors as an essential first step towards encouraging and ensuring community participation and involvement. The MWRRA holds immense promise as the first step towards institutionalizing IWRM in India. The key transformation through the act is the restructuring of Irrigation Development Corporations (IDCs) into River Basin Agencies (RBAs) and managing water use entitlements. The objective of the Workshop is to kick start constructive debate and discussion amongst the community, civil society, government officials and policy makers about Integrated River Basin Management and implications of MWRRA and similar legislations to diverse sectors like agriculture, industry, environment and community. |
| 16 | Sustainable Management of Drinking Water Resources- Gandhi Gram Trust | Arghyam is supporting Gandhigram Trust in its effort towards ensuring community management practices on a sustainable basis for providing domestic water to the communities in 12 villages in Athoor Block. This project aims at creating sensitivity towards the maintenance of water supply installations at village level. This will be addressed by capacitating the Village Panchayats to perform their duties. Training in village administration, financial management at village Panchayat, health and hygiene, environmental protection, maintenance of hand pumps, operation of power pumps are some of the areas where the project would focus. |
| 17 | Revival of Traditional Water Harvesting- Sambhaav | Barmer, being a part of the Thar Desert, suffers from sandy loam soil, extreme climate (2oC - 49oC) and scanty, irregular annual rainfall averaging to 275 mm. Heavy rainfall was received during the current season amounting to 723 mm of which 509 mm recorded over a period of 3 days resulted in severe floods.A large number of water harvesting structures were damaged or washed off because of the floods.. Arghyam supports Sambhaav in its effort in reviving & rebuilding TWHS involving the community. The programme adopts an approach based on indigenous science that has stood the test of time, thus restoring the faith of people in the traditional science of water harvesting. Through this programme, the spirit of sharing and working together towards a common need is encouraged which helps in building and developing the community |
| 18 | Decentralized Drinking Water Project- Sahjeevan | This project in Kutch is in collaboration with WASMO, Gujarat. While the hardware component is funded by WASMO, Arghyam is supporting a network of NGOs led by Sahjeevan for building the capacities of the village-level institutions to ensure adequate, safe drinking water access to the people of Abdasa taluka through development of the water resources within the village over a period of five years. The project will attempt to develop the criterion for measuring and monitoring the aquifer and will propose a simple method of providing a jurisdiction and legal framework for protecting the drinking water aquifer. |
| 19 | Waste Water Management in Textile Industry- TIDE | Dyeing and bleaching of cotton yarn is spread over six districts of Tamil Nadu. Coimbatore district has large number of such units. The small scale units largely cater to the needs of the handloom sector. These units contribute to both air and water pollution by burning firewood inefficiently in poorly designed stoves and by discharging process water without treatment into water bodies. TIDE has initiated energy efficient interventions in the sector that have found acceptance. Arghyam is supporting TIDE to initiate technological interventions to address the problem of discharge of effluents by the sector. Hence, a detailed case study of the sector is planned focusing on water use. TIDE will collect more information about current practices in effluent treatment and discharge, understand the problem, assess the possible solutions and barriers to their acceptability. |
| 20 | Sustainable Drinking Water to Tribal Villages-Sadguru | NMSWDF has proposed to develop a community managed sustainable rural water supply model for Dahod and Jhalawar districts of Gujarat and Rajasthan respectively, so that the issue of drinking water can be amicably addressed at the local level. The proposed model is aspiring to institutionalize a community based water supply system that will ensure perennial water availability to the local habitation by tapping the existing water harvesting structures, for instance masonry check dams that were constructed by NMSWDF in their previous interventions. In this programme, NMSWDF proposes to renovate and construct open dug wells downstream of the already existing check dams. |
| 21 | Integrated Water and Sanitation Project - Youth Volunteers’ Union | The project aims to provide accessed to safe drinking water facilities to all the 200 households of the Charangpat village. It also hopes to increase the level of understanding of the villagers on Environmental Sanitation through the construction of Eco-san toilets. Through this project, it is hoped that the demand for construction and usage of RWH and Eco-San will increase in the project village as well as adjoining villages. |
| 22 | Propagating RWH in North Bihar -MPA-II | The successful completion of the MPA-I, promotes us to go further with the second phase of MPA-II under the leadership of Mr. Eklavya and the partner NGOs from Bihar. North Bihar is a playfield of eight major rivers - Ghaghra, Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Bagmati, Kamala, Bhutahi Balan, Kosi and Mahananda. Flood in north Bihar is a recurring disaster, which destroys thousands of human lives and assets worth millions on an annual basis. There are two set of plans with 4 phases, one set of plan for the old villages (one earlier dealt with) and the second set for the new villages where we have to begin from the dust.
Arghyam is supporting the Abhiyan for Introducing the concept and technique of mobile rooftop rainwater harvesting to access safe drinking water during floods .Popularizing rainwater harvesting as a supplementary water source in both flood prone and flood secluded areas for effectively overcoming the water problems at individual household level. Inculcating the habit of adopting rainwater harvesting as a low cost technology with high cost returns especially during water stress circumstances largely prevalent at times of floods amongst the temporarily displaced communities. Developing the concept of ecosanitation. Strengthening the capacities of the local masses to carry out the proposed interventions independently at the community level. |
| 23 | Regenerating drinking water and Salinity Reduction in the little Rann of Rapar SAMERTH | The 16 villages which are to be focused in the project do not have adequate water availability and women have to walk 3-4 kilometers for getting drinking water. In some of the villages there are no single ponds and in some where there are ponds the water last only for 5-6 months. Around Dec-Jan of every year, the water starts drying up and till the monsoon arrives there is no water for drinking proposes. As these are all part of panchayats (hamlets) and not the main panchayats they do not get water supplied from tanker thus have to buy water transported through bullock cart. It is a very distressful situation as the Kolis in the villages are very poor and they do not have resources to buy water.
Arghyam is supporting Samerth's effort to provide drinking water facilities and reduce the salinity content from the land of the poor and marginalized communities .19 earthen check dams (talavadi) and 17 dug wells in the down stream of Mevasa River which will change the soil structures and benefit by reducing salinity and increasing the water levels. With the technical support from, CAZRI, Cherry plantation work will be undertaken which reduces the salinity of the area. Trees like Piludi, Neelgiri, Neem, Sweet Neem, etc. in the nurseries will be developed to promote plantation in the land bunds and near the dug wells. |
| 24 | Rainwater Harvesting & Water body Restoration in Bodhgaya Block, Gaya District, Bihar- DISHA | After the successful completion of the first project, the second phase is being planned which includes the same villages and a set of 5 new villages as well. The impact study carried out at the end of first phase revealed that water was the major issue affecting their livelihood as over the years wells have steadily dried up, canals, ahars were not repaired or being used for growing crops. Community based efforts were required for recharging and maintaining the water bodies for long term and sustainable means of natural resource management.
Arghyam is supporting Disha in setting up RWH systems in 200 households with a storage tank, pipe system for water collection (gutters, valves, bends etc.) and water filtration unit. In this phase the project will also focus on installing RWH system in the schools in five villages for providing safe water for children. In addition, reviving traditional water bodies like Ahars, Pokhars and open wells will also be taken up in these villages. Capacity building of the beneficiary community in the selected villages forms part of the Project. |
| 25 | Tackling Water Issues in the Mountains - Himalaya Seva Sangha | The hilly Himalayan region is blessed with adequately high rainfall but an overwhelmingly high proportion of the same is restricted to the monsoon. Even though the water is available it is constraint to the terrain forces and is unavailable during the non monsoon season. Even in the river valleys potable water is not available in abundance; the river discharge being laden with huge volumes of silt and mud load both during summers (due to glacial melt) and monsoon (due to surface erosion). Arghyam is supporting HSS to work on this problem through a multipronged strategy that attempts at making the best use of the available resource
The model is aspiring to institutionalize a community based water supply system by constructing chaal, water canals and filters that will ensure perennial water availability to the local habitation by tapping the existing water harvesting structures. Adequate and safe drinking water to the entire household through out the year with better health and hygiene. Reduction of drudgery on women because of the convenience of water availability. Ground water recharge & spring rejuvenation, soil erosion control.Mangaging and organizing "Pani Panchyat"Research and Documentation of different systems of Water Harvesting and Management in the Mountain systems. |
| 26 | Bangalore Film Society for Organizing an "Voices of Water"International Film Festival on Water | Arghyam is funding a film festival on water. Socially conscious feature and documentary film makers over a period of time have dealt with the problems of drought, floods, scarcity of potable water, big dams and displacements, use of contaminated water and health issues, river valley civilizations, water struggles, water conservation and water management. Some of these films are Bara by M. Satyu, H2O, by Upendra, Ganashatru by late Satyajit Ray, Swaraj by Anwar Jamal and a host of documentary films from India.
The three day film festival is expected to provide lively interaction with film directors, social activists and the audience the conference is expected to address in depth the present water crisis and the future of potable for water for all. It's going to be both an exchange of ideas and concerns as well as a learning process where the scholars, the activists and the invited participants work towards a plan of action to mitigate the water crisis looming large in the horizon. .
The Film Festival broadly will be classified into six categories. They are:
a) Water Scarcity
b) Dams and the Displaced
c) Water Harvesting /Conservation
d) Water Struggles
e) Water and Civilizations
f) Water and Health |
| 27 | Implementing Integrated services for enhancing health and hygiene through Rural Water Supply and Sanitation - WWGS
| The project aims to set up Horizontal Roughing Filter/ Slow Sand Filter (HRF/SSF) in the project areas coupled with Roof Top Rainwater Harvesting (RWH) to address both water quality and quantity issues. Cost effective eco sanitation models are deemed to address health issues. Parallel study of groundwater quality near and around pit latrines will be taken up to understand linkages between sanitation systems and groundwater contamination. |
