ADRA India

WATER & SANITATION

ADRA India’s Water and sanitation program is based on our view that access to clean water and a sanitary daily environment are not only a basic human right, but a foundation upon which the quality of life for an entire community may rest. Unfortunately, millions of families in India don’t have access to these basic services and practices, as is evident in the fact that 63% of India’s population still doesn’t have adequate sanitation facilities.

Which is significantly higher than the world average of 41%. At ADRA India, we believe that combining facilities of locally appropriate technologies with the sense of ownership of a vision of healthy practices have a powerful impact on the health and wellbeing of an entire community. By working closely with our partner communities, we understand that there are many constraints that make it difficult for communities to practice safe hygiene and sanitation. This is why our projects support communities with household and community water supply systems, latrines, improved hygiene practices as well as waste disposal in a holistic approach that takes their daily routines, gender preferences and cultural views into account.

Our Water & Sanitation Program

Water & Sanitatiion brings Joy to a 60 year old man

Muthu Devar is a 60 year old male from Ellathur in the Thiruvanamalai district and is a beneficiary of ADRA India’s Water & Sanitation (WATSAN) Program. Because of the WATSAN intervention in his community he has been able to successfully establish an irrigated kitchen garden near his house, with methods of effectively recycling waste water and set an example that others have followed.

He said, “In our camp there is no place to wash our clothes and clean our vessels. So we used to wash near our house which resulted in large amounts of water which was always stagnant. We were not aware that we can use the waste water to irrigate and water a kitchen garden. We never knew that we can make some plantation in our home or backyard and safely dispose of all the waste water. We were also not aware that stagnant water is the breeding place of mosquitoes. On top of this we were ignorant about the diseases caused by mosquitoes until ADRA educated us.”

Muthu continues, “I decided to make a kitchen garden and cleaned up the bushes near my house. I planted banana trees and established a small kitchen vegetable garden. But the garden needed regular water, so I prepared a path for the waste water to get to the kitchen garden to irrigate the small cultivation.”

“Today there is no stagnant waste water, which was a breeding place for harmful bacteria and mosquitoes, and as a result there are not many mosquitoes around anymore. The waste water is now safely disposed and is a great fertilizer that makes my garden grow so good. I can now reap bananas and sell them for good money. I am also happy to see the toilets being constructed and ADRA has also provided us with a safe drinking water source which is the basic need of our camp, many thanks to ADRA India for their care for us.”