From two decades of working experience in the Chhotanagpur Plateau area spread over West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand states, LAMP has found that the health situation of the poor tribals and other indigenous communities is severely damaged due to lack of safe drinking water. As 60% of the diseases are mainly water born, these tribals and indigenous people have been suffering from various kinds of gastro-centric diseases. In this situation, LAMP has taken steps to install tubewellls for safe drinking water in Sonamukhi block of Bankura district in West Bengal with the financial support of SIMAVI, form the Netherlands. Besides, LAMP in collaboration with grassroot organisation like Grammeen Unnayan Sanstha from Bankura, Indian Institute of Rural Development in Moruda block from Mayurbhanj district of Orissa and Bihar Gana Unnayan Parshad in Baharagora block of Singhbhum East distric of Jharkhand has conducted several Health Environmental Awareness & Education Camps and organised Beneficiary comitees for the maintenance of the tubewells.

Tube well installed by LAMP at village Chirardanga, Sonamukhi, Bankura

 

Major topics discussed in these Health Environmental Awareness & Education Camps are:

•  Safe drinking water for good health.

•  Sources of soil and water pollution.

•  Preventive measures against water borne diseases.

•  Community and women's participation in water and sanitation management.

•  Utility of sanitation for protecting health and environment.

Formation of Beneficiary Committee(s):

In each of the target 29 villages separate beneficiary committee(s) have been formed. These committees are empowered with the responsibilities for maintenance and repairing of tube-wells, by contributing Rs. 5.00 per family per month in the Tube-well Maintenance Fund. Committee members are being fully involved in project planning, implementation and follow-up activities.

Installation of 29 Tubewells:

In the community public lands, as identified by the local panchayats 29 tubewells have been installed properly. Tubewell materials like PVC pipe, hand pumps etc. have been procured from the local market. Under the guidance of expert all the tubewells were installed. After completion of installation work, the tube well platforms were constructed and drainage to soakpits was effected. The Vice President of the Sonamukhi Panchayat Samity, Mr. Biswanath Roy of West Bengal Voluntary Health Association and Mr. Malay Dewanji, Hony. General Secretary, LAMP visited all the tube wells and were satisfied with the work. Sample water was collected from all tubewells for experts' comments and was found satisfactory. Quality of Water of the installed tubewells is good. The Vice President of Sonamukhi Panchayat Samity has also congratulated LAMP in writing for completing installation of the target 29 tubewells properly.

Hand over and take over of tubewells:

In the presence of the Vice President of the Sonamukhi Panchayat Samity all tubewells have been handed over to the beneficiary committees of the concerned villages. In this connection a written document of hand over and takeover, duly signed by the representatives of the beneficiary committees, LAMP and Vice President of Sonamukhi Panchayat Samity (as witness) has been executed for recording.

Mobile Awareness Campaigning: LAMP has been striving for creating opportunities to basic amenities and human rights for the target people in its areas of operation. The poor people in the project areas do not enjoy credit facilities as their rights and in this situation, LAMP extended its helping hands to establish the poor people’s rights to credit as their fundamental rights. Through micro finance support people of the project areas especially women groups have improved their livelihood. The Mobile Awareness Campaigning have been organized in the targeted 54 villages on water and sanitation issues, prevention and control of water borne diseases and in many cases discussions were turned on health rights issues. Street corners and cultural programmes on health rights and problems had created much impact on the villagers. Discussions are made, on the following issues: i. Personal hygiene ii. Environmental cleanliness iii. Malaria Control – preventive measures iv. Water borne disease control – preventive measures v. Safe management of human excreta vi. Reproductive and sexual health care vii. Utility of sanitation viii. Role of village health committees ix. Peoples rights to health care x. Awareness about STDs/HIV/AIDS prevention. Through the mobile awareness camps, more than 95,000 beneficiaries approximately have been covered. The mobile tableau has covered the whole block and it is revealed from our observation that more than 1500 persons have been made aware in each market place. Workshop on Rights to Health and Water: During September, 2007, 5 workshops were organized on the local health problems and rights to health. These workshops were attended by the representatives of all stakeholders and shared their views. Women of self help group members were majority of the participants. Expert on health aspects likes local doctors, nurses, rural health workers, and ICDS workers and barefooted doctors participated in these workshops. IEC materials like posters, banners, booklets with pictures, leaflets etc. were developed and procured and used in the workshops. The main theme of the workshops was Rights to Health and Water. Women were vocal in these workshops and it was decided to make a common platform of the community based organizations to access the health rights and safe drinking water for which demand will be placed before the local government. 544 participants attended the 5 workshops on rights to health & water issues. Project Impact on the Community: Water borne diseases is decreased; Water washed diseases is decreased; Water based insect transmitted diseases is decreased; All the tube wells are maintained properly by the concerned VHCs; Maintenance/repairing fund is collected regularly; Infant mortality rate is decreased from 67 to 54; Maternal mortality rate is decreased from 470 to 415 per 100000 live birth; Local Panchayat Samity, block health department and block development authorities, local banks participate in the programme from time to time. Women of self help groups have gained access to micro finance. More than 250 women self help groups have been functioning and about 2800 women have been generating income. 6965 poor people have received relevant and appropriate health information. 3658 poor people have received relevant and appropriate information on reproductive health. 5126 poor people have received information on HIV/AIDS prevention. More than 60000 people have obtained information and become aware of their health rights. 9508 poor people have received relevant and appropriate information on sanitation. 3477 poor people have received relevant and appropriate information on hygiene.

 

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