Background
Water quality issues often emerge first within communities, but reporting them can be slow and fragmented. Frontline workers such as ASHA workers, Anganwadi teachers and Jal Mitras are well placed to identify contamination concerns, yet they often lack simple ways to report them. Arghyam partnered with INREM Foundation to explore how digital tools could strengthen community-led water quality monitoring and reporting.
SOLUTION
Our Approach
Arghyam partnered with INREM Foundation and Tata Trusts to pilot a WhatsApp bot that enabled frontline workers to report water quality concerns directly from the field. The pilot was implemented in Nalbari district, Assam, and Jhabua district, Madhya Pradesh, where 333 frontline workers were trained to identify contamination risks, use Field Test Kits, and follow standard reporting protocols.
Alongside the pilot, the project assessed existing Water Quality Monitoring and Surveillance systems and developed a district-level water quality report for Nalbari. The experience demonstrated the potential of digital reporting while highlighting the need to strengthen institutional response systems alongside community-led data collection.
