A resource centre for safe water in Assam: Laying foundation for this new centre & its future

Presented by:Jyotismita DeviIRMA, PRM 35

INREM Foundation

Project Background• Long exposure to fluoride can result into mottled teeth,

crippling body and other health hazards.

• Long exposure to Arsenic can lead to cancer.

• In 2015 February, INREM (Secretariat of Flouride KAN) along with saciWaters (Secretariat of Arsenic KAN network of India) opened a Water Quality & Health Resource Center in Guwahati of Assam.

• At present the resource center is run with the help of local NGOs there.

Project Objectives

The project objective was to “Make a strategy plan for the resource center for its’ way forward in next three years” by studying all related stakeholders

Methodology Adapted• Exploratory design methodology.

• Unstructured because of qualitative data and information

• Study of related success stories, documents

• Semi structured interview of all the stakeholders

• Seminar & meetings

FindingsThree aspects need to be emphasized -•Providing safe water to the affected community of Assam•Proper food and nutrition •Awareness about the water quality problem, its mitigation and prevention

With the help of six stakeholders-•Government departments related to water.•Government departments related to Health.•Medical Practitioners•Different NGOs•Community Workers•Academic institutions

Overall Participants

How they are related?• PHED is supplying surface water to the affected community

• Public Health is providing nutrition supplement to the affected children

• Medical practitioners are not much aware of the diseases Fluorosis and Arsenicosis.

• NGOs having reach to community are ready to work in this issue

• Some social/community workers are voluntarily working in this sector• Academic institutes are doing research for removal of Fluoride

and Arsenic from water.

Institutional Analysis and Development Framework by Ostrom

As parent organization INREM and saciWaters are the main policy makers at present.

• No permanent employee.• Running at a small part of CML

building.• Accepted by local organizations.• Funding agencies are ready to invest.• Growing phase.• No institutional arrangement till now.

• All the key stakeholders

• Intervention related to Water, Health and Awareness

  OWNERSHIP CREDIBILITY IMPACT RESILIENCESTRENGTH People from different

background are coming forward to get engaged so it has become a diversity led organization. 

UNICEF, Government departments, Medical experts are coming forward to help. 

Microscale impacts have been already there. Volunteers are already working in field and have become successful to some extent. 

It is a diverse organization getting support from organizations inside and outside of Assam along with GO and NGO, academic and nonacademic bodies.

WEAKNESS Affected community members have no ownership for it, they are not coming forward to get associated 

There is lack of localized knowledge on solutions which can bring acceptance of common people. 

Resource center are not scaled up to intervene government schemes. 

Till now resource center doesn't has any resource generation capacity. Funding agencies know little about it and its' work.

OPPURTUNITY As it accommodating people from diverse background it can have multidisciplinary solutions to the problem. 

Local people, institutions are coming forward. Location specific research can be easily done. 

Identify government program vehicles such as education, water testing etc. which can help and make the affected people aware. 

There is an opportunity of embedding the resource center with other agencies at different places. This will involve more and more people to it and towards its' purpose.

THREATS Lack of coordination among different stakeholders is a huge threat. This may lead to break down of resource center into several individual entities. People may deny taking responsibilities.

News about the resource center is spreading very fast through media before reaching a firm ground about prevention & mitigation in local context.

There is need of multidimensional impact (e.g. food, water, behavioral change) and long duration of time to see overall positive result. For positive result resource center need to sustain at least for that time period.

Expectations of people grow very fast and the impact is seen very slowly. This may lead to un-satisfaction. 

IMPACT

STRENGTH

RESILIENCE

WEAKNESS

OWNERSHIP

OPPORTUNITY

CREDIBILITY

THREATS

• Organizations associated• Places of intervention• People recovered or

improved from health hazards

• Awareness among people

Intervention RequiredWhere and How

SAFE WATER HEALTH & NUTRITION COMMUNICATION

• Monitoring and advice PHED for regular and adequate supply of safe water.

• Promote rain water harvesting.

• Home filters that can remove Fluoride and Arsenic along with other contaminations.

• Installing RO for immediate improvement

• Training of medical practitioners.

• Pharmaceutical supplements.

• Healthy food.• Research on local food

habits.• Research on locally

available food items.

• What, How, When and to Whom is very much essential.

• Communication related to behavioral change.

• News of the resource center.

Recommendations

• Pilot project in two districts- Nagaon and Jorhat.

• Partnership with appropriate departments of government for intervention.

• Impact assessment in every 2/3 months.• Forums for knowledge sharing and news

about activities of the resource center.• After 1st year of intervention, model can be

replicated in other affected areas.

One Year Road Map

THANK YOU …