Water Management in India | S M Sehgal Foundation

1. Water Management Water Management

2. WATER MANAGEMENT The works traditional water bodies, construct water harvesting and infrastructure, and wastewater, and promote safe drinking water with innovative sustainable technologies behavior. Water with Management communities program to revive conservation disposal safe of low-cost, and WASH It also empowers local communities to take care of operation and maintenance for long term sustainability of structures created. Watch Complete Video Here

3. The water management program seeks opportunities for continuous improvement and replication of low-cost water management interventions.

4. WHY DO WE NEED WATER MANAGEMENT? • India sustains apx. 18% of world’s population with just 4% of world’s fresh water resources. • The average annual per capita availability in 1950 was more than 5000 cubic metres per person which has declined to 1,545 cubic metres in 2011 and may further reduce to 1,367 cubic metres in 2031. This per capita water availability is also not same throughout India. • It makes India severely water-stressed, making it a national priority. • The annual groundwater extraction in India for all uses is 245 BCM, out of which 217 BCM (89%) is for irrigation use and 27 BCM (11 %) is for domestic uses. • The crisis has worsened further due to climate change, which causes erratic and intense rainfall, coupled with a lack of infrastructure for safe disposal of wastewater in villages, leading to contamination of water resources, and giving rise to health and hygiene concerns.

5. WATER RESOURCE AUGMENTATION • Focuses aquifers and augmenting groundwater primarily with rainwater harvesting structures such as check dams, ponds, tanks, recharge wells etc. on replenishing depleted underground • Improves the availability and quality of groundwater by recharging aquifers and provides water security to rural households and irrigating the crops. • It also improves the soil moisture (green water) that’s helps in reviving area’s ecology and environment. • Works with communities to revive traditional water bodies, and construct conservation and recharging structures to harvest surplus monsoon runoff. cost-effective water

6. WATER RESOURCE AUGMENTATION • Desilting and rejuvenation of traditional tanks in Kolar brought a sea change in availability of surface and groundwater in intervention villages which has translated in improved crop yields. • Villagers Revive Kere habba, a lake festival, after 40 years in Kempasandra village of Kolar • Farmers used tank silt in their field have reported that their yield of tomatoes, beans, ragi etc has almost doubled due to highly nutrient rich tank silt, good soil moisture retention and timely availability of adequate water for irrigation from their borewells following continuous recharging. • Some of their wells started overflowing due to large scale recharging from tanks.

7. WATER RESOURCE AUGMENTATION • Similarly Andhra Pradesh brough water back in their dried well as groundwater levels villages after construction of 5 check dams. check dam constructed in Anantapur, rose considerably in six • Farmers typically growing a single rainfed crop of groundnut only (which was highly loss making) but these farmers have now shifted to profit making crops such as maize, paddy, vegetables, oil seeds etc and taking two crops a year due to improved water availability.

8. ROOFTOP RAINWATER HARVESTING • Promotes installation of rooftop rainwater harvesting systems in public buildings that store rainwater in over- ground or underground tanks. • The water is recharged in the saline aquifer to create a local source of fresh water inside it. • It is passed through an appropriate filtering process prior to human consumption, eliminating the risk of biological and other contaminants from the rainwater. • Excess water is recharged back into the ground. • It has ensured access to safe water for drinking, sanitation and cooking mid day meal in schools. • It has also improved retention rate of students due to lack of drinking water specially adolescent girls who use to escape school due to shortage of water for personal hygiene.

9. SAFE DRINKING WATER • Advocates technologies to improve access to safe drinking water at end user preventing the spread of waterborne diseases. the adoption of sustainable for rural communities, • JalKalp biosand water filters and MatiKalp water filters are two such promoted innovations. • JalKalp is effective against pathogens such as E. coli, total coliforms, parasites, microbes, and worms, as well as eliminating turbidity, iron, manganese, and arsenic contamination. • MatiKalp takes care of pathogens, iron, and manganese present in water.

10. WASH Promotes affordable and local solutions for the safe disposal of wastewater, at the household and community levels. Advocates for integrated WASH behavior change within communities. Provides WASH training and hand- holding support for the capacity building of practitioners.

11. SOIL CONSERVATION • Promotes a variety of soil and water conservation measures to maintain and improve soil fertility and productivity. • With support from the communities, structures are built for soil and water conservation to improve soil moisture retention. • Promotes catchments to improve the quality of runoff, and the slow release of percolation into the soil. large-scale plantations on water water which increases • It helps in increasing availability of grass and fodder for milch animals and over all improvement of vegetation in the areas.

12. WATER-CONSCIOUS COMMUNITIES • Works closely with rural communities for judicious and sustainable use of water resources, use of safe drinking water, and WASH behavior. • Actively engages in awareness sessions and literacy drives with all sections of the community, including women and youth, on – ✔ judicious use of water, ✔ the importance of managing water resources, ✔ water budgeting, ✔ household water treatment, ✔ Safe disposal of domestic wastewater ✔ good hygiene and sanitation practices ✔ and operation and maintenance of water conservation/management structures for their long term sustainability • It further aims to equip rural communities with skills to sustain their water resources and be water secure.

13. INNOVATION AND COST-EFFECTIVE SOLUTIONS: AN ABSOLUTE NEED Bihar’s inadequate drainage, resulting in water accumulation and related diseases. Here’s what the top rural development NGO in India did - Sitamarhi district faced challenges in wastewater disposal due to The S M Sehgal Foundation addressed this as a part of the Adarsh Panchayat Bhandari project. • • Constructed soak pits using locally available materials and minimal assistance for reducing the risk of contamination of water resources and water borne diseases.

14. • The soak pit allows only water into the pit, regulating water flow, and ensuring smooth drainage. • It filters solid waste and replenishes the groundwater table with clean water. • These cost-effective pits require minimal maintenance and contribute to sustainable wastewater management.

16. ARSENIC REMOVAL IN GROUNDWATER Groundwater is vital for rural and urban domestic needs, however, a potent environmental pollutant, arsenic (As) poses a silent yet significant threat. Learn what the top sustainable rural development NGO in India did to tackle this issue - The S M Sehgal Foundation introduced JalKalp, an innovative biosand filter manganese, iron, and microbial contamination. • technology to address • This had a positive community impact, leading to health improvements and economic benefits. • Those who considered contaminated water as harmless have adapted to safe drinking water. • The foundation educated children in households to disseminate knowledge to create awareness within families.

17. PRESENT ISSUES AND INSPIRATIONAL STORIES FROM THE WATER DEFICIT REGIONS OF HARYANA With a dearth of perennial surface water sources, a staggering 78% of Nuh groundwater. This dire shortage amplifies sanitation and hygiene issues, particularly affecting women. Addressing the pressing concern of groundwater salinity, here’s development NGO in India did - grapples with clean saline water of what the top rural S M Sehgal Foundation partnered with the Millennium Alliance, an initiative for the installation of high-pressure recharge wells. •

18. • It has amplified rainwater harvesting models to create pockets of freshwater within the saline aquifer. • These ingenious recharge wells replenish rainwater beneath the groundwater level, establishing a freshwater enclave amidst the saline expanse. These wells were seen in four schools in villages within the Nuh district. • • To ensure success and sustainability, the team worked closely with local villagers and generated awareness about its proper utilization. • Remarkably, students and residents attested to the purity and quality of the water, equating it to the taste of commercially available packaged mineral water.