We have begun our second decade in Arghyam. The previous decade has taught us a great deal about the role we can play as funders, supporters of innovation and scale, and more. It has also shown us our limitations and our opportunities. We rededicate ourselves to being a strategic and supportive organisation for the Watsan sector. Primarily, our focus has been on lifeline water, the water people use for daily living without which no one can hope to lead better lives. We have also recognised, happily, that this question has moved up in the value chain from quantity to quality. We also acknowledge that water is fungible, cannot be put into silos, and that our work covers concerns of water for livelihood, of ecological sustainability and more. We welcome these complexities and are attempting to shift our work accordingly, while remaining committed to ensuring universality of access to safe, sustainable water for lifeline purposes. Elsewhere in this report, you will see that, over the past decade, we have touched millions of lives to access better water. And these numbers are important, and we are grateful and humbled, but we want our work to go further still. Through our work on Water Quality Networks, our work on participatory groundwater management, our pioneering work on the Springs Initiative, and all other collaborative approaches described elsewhere, we hope to be part of those forces that innovate for equity and care about sustainability. Water issues remain at the heart of the challenges of the new century. Our role at Arghyam is to remain open and continuously explore new ways and means to secure basic water for all. I thank everyone who has walked this journey with us over the last ten years, especially our Board and our partners. We hope that you will continue to support us in the years ahead.
Rohini Nilekani
This 10th year has been a busy one for Arghyam! In rural water, the participatory groundwater management program entered its second phase and we are looking at this work being expanded into Government schemes and programs, and themes of other donors. A new program has also emerged from this work: the Springs Initiative, which is a first pan-India collective to address springshed management. Springs are vital resource for water security for much of our people in the hills. We have been working in sanitation for some time and are committed to helping make India open defecationfree. While our work in communication for sanitation continues, we are also considering the entire value chain of sanitation – both before and after toilet construction – from usage and fecal sludge management to technology and data for better monitoring and evaluation. For the first time, we are also funding a rights based project in sanitation in Odisha. This year we have significantly expanded our urban program. While we have invested in urban projects in the past, we felt this year was the right time to create a full-fledged program. I am particularly proud of the growth of this program over this year: from piloting groundwater management in a city context in Bhuj to behaviour change in sanitation in cities and fecal sludge management, to integrated water and sanitation for high-density urban poor settlements. The 10th year is also a good time to look back at our body of work and introspect on what we were successful at, what we need to look at more, and to understand how our thinking as an organisation has evolved. In this report, you will get a glimpse of this effort: we have featured 10 projects that represent a range of our investments. We have worked with communities, with data, with governments; we have invested in people, projects and programs. In all our work, we are trying to communicate better and more effectively. This time we are going digital with the annual report. In every project lies a special story; in this report, we want you to explore some of these stories captured in print, in photo and in video. So do check out the links on each page, go beyond the confines of the project to experience our work as it touches the people on the ground. I hope you enjoy reading this annual report, and join us on the journey towards safe, sustainable water for all.
Jayamala Subramaniam
Around 67,000 villages in India have no access to safe drinking water. Nearly 70% of rural India has no access to toilets. The consequences • Shorter life expectancy due to life-threatening water-borne diseases • Poor economic productivity leading to poverty • Malnutrition among children and adults • High dropout rate in schools due to poor health • Risk of harassment and abuse for women and girls • Poor quality of life
Arghyam is a grant-making foundation that focuses on groundwater and sanitation. Over the last 10 years, Arghyam has helped improve access to drinking water and sanitation for rural and urban communities in 22 states of India.
Rural water
Water Security and Sustainable Sanitation Rural water, rural sanitation and urban water & sanitation
A public charitable foundation set up with a personal endowment from Rohini Nilekani, Arghyam works in partnerships with organisations, governments and individuals to achieve safe, sustainable water for all.
Rural sanitation
Till date, we have funded Rs 115 crore in 105 projects, reaching 5 million people in 22 states across India. Our work broadly spans three areas: rural water, rural sanitation and urban water & sanitation.
Urban water & sanitation
Arghyam’s focus on ensuring water security includes ensuring equitable access, quantity, quality and reliability of water for all. We fund efforts that help communities move towards sustainable groundwater management. Our work on sustainable sanitation focuses on making rural and urban settlements free of open defecation. We introduce and support sustainable sanitation practices with an end-to-end approach – from creating demand to usage to safe fecal management. In our 10th year, we are now shifting our focus from projects and programs to enabling more partnerships to create, promote and sustain ideas and efforts that move us closer to our vision.
Contents Our Footprint…………………………………………………............ Our Work in 2014-15…………………………………………............... Arghyam’s Top 10 The barefoot water diviners………………………………........... When gravity flows………………………………………..................... Catching rain drops: Mazhapolima………………………......... A confluence to overcome conflicts……………………..................... Scarce to secure: Kutch’s water story……………………........... Changing behaviours for better sanitation…………….................... The great Indian toilet tracker……………………………........... On a swachh mission……………………………………................... Bottom up clean cities…………………………............................ A dedicated water portal: India’s first...…………………………..... Financials 2014-15…………………………………………............. Our Board................................................................................
Our Footprint
1. People’s Science Institute (PSI) 2. Central Himalayan Rural Action Group (CHIRAG) 3. Himalaya Seva Sangh (HSS) 4. Himmotthan 5. Centre for Policy Research 6. PEACE Institute Charitable Trust 7. Centre For Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE) 8. Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) India 9. Megh Pyne Abhiyan (MPA) 1 2
10. Government of Sikkim
3 4
11. Government of Meghalaya
UTTARAKHAND
12. Society for Participatory Research in Asia (PRIA) 13. Francois-Xavier Bagnoud India Suraksha (FXB)
5
DELHI
14. Atmashakti Trust
6
SIKKIM
15. Samerth 16
16. Sambhaav Trust
7
RAJASTHAN
17. Samerth 18. Arid Communities and Technologies (ACT) 20. Centre for Planning & Technology University (CEPT) 22. Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM) 23. Manthan Research and Social Development Society 24. Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM)
11
BIHAR
19. Utthan 21. India Natural Resource Economics and Management Foundation (INREM)
10
UTTAR PRADESH
17 18
JHARKHAND GUJARAT
CHHATTISGARH 15
ORISSA
26. SNEHA 28. BAIF Institute for Rural Development-Karnataka (BIRD-K) 29. University of Agricultural Sciences, Karnataka
14
MAHARASHTRA 22
23
24
TELANGANA
30. Karuna Trust 31. Communication for Development and Learning
37. LEAF Society 38. Kalike Trust 39. OUTREACH 40. Sarada Valley Development Samithi 41. Visakha Jilla Nava Nirmana Samithi (VJNNS) 42. Watershed Support Services and Activities Network (WASSAN) 43. South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies (SaciWATERS)
40
Rural Water
26
35. Gramalaya
41
ANDHRA PRADESH
KARNATAKA
34. Mazhapolima Monitoring and Coordination Unit 36. Gandhigram Trust
43 42
25
32. Indian Institute for Human Settlements 33. Keystone Foundation
13
12
19 21
20
25. Friends of Moral Re-Armament, India (FMRAI) and Grampari 27. Society for Community Participation and Empowerment (SCOPE)
MEGHALAYA
8 9
27 28
38 30 29
39
31 32
33
TAMIL NADU 35
37 34
Urban Water & Sanitation
36
KERALA
Rural Sanitation
Groundwater – for the people, by the people Participatory Groundwater Management (PGWM) is a sustainable model for groundwater management across rural and urban India. Launched in 2011, the project entered its second phase this year with our five core resource partners, namely ACWADAM, WASSAN, PSI, ACT and MPA. In this phase, PGWM is expanding to new geographies and contexts: Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Himachal Pradesh, the North East, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. We’ve started the dialogue for a water security plan for Kutch district in Gujarat and conducted trainings in Nagaland. We are working to integrate PGWM within mainstream projects in over 200 sites in Andhra Pradesh, our resource centres have been identified as watershed development training centres for Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, while UNDP is conducting PGWM training in nine states with our partners. And for the first time, we have piloted PGWM in an urban context, in Bhuj city, Gujarat. In Bhuj, PGWM takes a decentralised participatory approach by including a city-wide citizen group (the Jalstrot Sneh Samvardhan Samiti) in the planning process. This group, comprising people from across Bhuj’s communities, works with the District Collector’s office to integrate all water management efforts. ACT is the technical advisor on the project. This project has put in place decentralised water supply management in urban slums and community-managed groundwater recharge systems, created an inventory for Bhuj’s wells, trained local para hydrogeologists and is collaborating with CEPT University.
Restoring springs Providing perennial drinking water and anchoring ecosystems, springs are integral to life among India’s mountain communities. The Springs Initiative is the first national-level effort to protect and promote springsheds in India. The Initiative’s nine partner organisations, namely ACWADAM, PSI, CHIRAG, HSS, the governments of Sikkim and Meghalaya, Keystone Foundation, FMRAI-Grampari and VJNNS, have mapped over 6,000 springs across 25 districts in Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. This year marked the entry of the governments of Sikkim and Meghalaya into the Initiative. The Initiative’s first information-sharing platform, hosted by Arghyam, now boasts of over 200 documents and videos, and has evolved into a space for sharing diverse approaches, solutions and technologies.
A makeover for Agra’s WATSAN Abutting the famous Taj Mahal is the neighbourhood of Tajganj. A lower income area, many of the communities here can trace their lineage to Mughal times. Earlier, these neighbourhoods relied on extensive traditional water systems, but over time, many of them have fallen into disrepair and as a result, Tajganj now faces severe water and sanitation problems. In partnership with CURE, Arghyam has embarked on an ambitious project to revitalise these neighbourhoods. Working with the local government, the project seeks to use participatory approaches to revive traditional wells and aquifers, harvest rainwater, recharge groundwater and support three key government projects: the improvement of the Taj East Drain, upgrading slum infrastructure and providing affordable housing. This effort will involve 6,700 households across 22 slums in Tajganj, reaching around 41,700 individuals. Till date, 14 slum community groups have been established and their leaders trained on housing and sanitation. The housing schemes here now ensure that they include rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge systems, toilets, sewerage and water supply. The conservation of traditional well structures is also underway, as are solid waste management plans.
Improving water quality Over the last two years, the Fluoride and Arsenic Knowledge and Action Networks have been instrumental in highlighting the issue of water quality across India. A major focus this year was the development of the networks’ regional and state-level hubs. In Madhya Pradesh, the networks have worked with the state health department to address water quality affecting over 300,000 people in four districts. In Telangana, the networks are working with the Nalgonda District Fluorosis Monitoring Committee, where widespread fluorosis affects over 11.7 million people. In Assam, the networks, through a state-level Resource Centre for Water Quality and Health, are designing state-level communication strategies. In West Bengal, a feasibility study was run to explore dug well techniques for arsenic affected areas in Nadia and 24 Paraganas districts. This year has also seen several district-level initiatives: in Dhar, Madhya Pradesh, the networks supported the implementation of a fluorosis mitigation program; in Nagaon, Tezpur and Jorhat districts of Assam, the networks have trained officials on nutritional supplement for children affected by fluorosis; and in Hubli, Karnataka, a new resource centre serves over 100,000 people. On the technology front, the first open data repository on GitHub was set up, while a mobile-based fluoride app prototype ‘Caddisfly’ was tested in Nalgonda and Jhabua. At the central level, the ICMR Fluorosis task force of which the networks are members, published a Dental Fluorosis Index. Online, the networks have vibrant communities on Facebook and Twitter.
Behaviour change communication – Tackling the last mile Following our behaviour change communication campaign in Karnataka last year where we partnered with the state government to improve the uptake of the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (now Swachh Bharat Mission), this year, we worked to understand the supply side of the scheme and the last mile issues in helping communities become 100% open defecation-free. We are working with SNEHA in Davangere for 100% coverage in two gram panchayats and 80% coverage in three others. This project will help Arghyam develop a model for reaching out to the last mile, which is likely to remain uncovered. We want this campaign to be used across India. All the campaign materials have been translated into Hindi and English, and are available for use on the India Water Portal.
A right to sanitation in Odisha Nearly 70% of households in Odisha do not have toilets. The most affected among them are minority and tribal communities who make up nearly 38% of the state’s 42 million-strong population. For several years now, Atmashakti Trust has been working with these communities to improve health and livelihoods. This year, we partnered with Atmashakti to help communities in five districts in Odisha access better water and sanitation. Using participatory mechanisms to empower the communities, Atmashakti enables village communities or sanghatans to access their rights under the Food Security Act and improve livelihoods through MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act). These sanghatans, led by a local jan sathi, are federated at the district and state levels, creating a groundswell able to demand basic rights such as water and sanitation. This project covers 1,000 villages in Kandhamal, Malkangiri, Koraput, Sambalpur and Sundargarh districts. Till date, through this initiative, over 4,000 households have constructed toilets, over 500 hand pumps have been repaired and around 300 new hand pumps installed, improving the lives of over 12,800 households.
A swachh Dindigul in the making Since 2008, Gandhigram Trust, with Arghyam’s support, has been working to promote sanitation in five gram panchayats in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. The success of its participatory approach involving village volunteers, self-help groups (SHGs) and the gram panchayat has now brought in demand from neighbouring blocks. Gandhigram is collaborating with the government’s flagship sanitation programme, the Swachh Bharat Mission (earlier Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan), to scale up the project to more gram panchayats. After consultations with officials, Gandhigram Trust has started working in three new blocks in Dindigul. Gandhigram Trust is helping mobilise resources under the government programme to create demand and enable supply through awareness workshops, construction workshops, quicker release of subsidies, monitoring and data documentation and even interest-free loans to build toilets. Over 2,000 households built toilets in the first year.
10
years
We brought the ‘parab’ or the para hydrogeologist into the mainstream, through Participatory Groundwater Management (PGWM).
10
Arghyam’s Top
2,000 para hydrogeologists, 7 villages, 39 months, Rs 70 lakh funded Kutch, Gujarat
The barefoot water diviners Science by the people Apart from being the largest district in India, Kutch is also one of the driest. While it has been historically dependent on traditional water sources, frequent droughts, poor rainfall and the advent of piped water supply systems in the 90s have led to the exploitation of groundwater reserves and the disuse and decay of traditional sources. In 2011, Arghyam partnered with ACT to train local community members on groundwater management. Over three years, ACT has trained over 2,000 barefoot hydrogeologists (or ‘parabs’), helped seven villages in Kutch become water secure and worked on three aquifer systems in the region. As a result of ACT’s efforts, groundwater levels have risen visibly and protocols for a common management of aquifers were developed. Why it worked “Our skill lies in knowing the ‘janamkundali’ (birth chart) of the local rock formation.” This is Velji Goradiya, one of the parabs. The core idea was to create ownership of the resource among the people, the users who knew their water resources, and the creation of local parabs became the entry point into the community. And it worked! The parabs helped construct, maintain and restore water systems. They also mobilised communities, fostered leadership and built long term sustainability for the project. The model was also cost effective as each parab is being trained at less than Rs 3,000. Going forward The success of local community parabs has contributed to the inclusion of participatory principles into the district government’s water source protection and management guidelines. ACT now trains local parabs across the country.
10
years
We brought simple technological solutions to promote groundwater as a commons into the mainstream.
10
Arghyam’s Top
2,266 households, 2 districts, 65 months, Rs 1.3 crore funded, Rs 1 crore mobilised
Vishakhapatnam & Srikakulam, Andhra Pradesh
When gravity flows Low cost, high impact Nestled in remote pockets of the Eastern Ghats are many tribal communities who depend primarily on springs for drinking water. The harsh terrain makes it difficult to access water; women often spend most of their day fetching it. These are also not areas where centralised piped water schemes can reach easily. VJNNS decided to introduce a water security solution adapted to the contours of the land here. Using Gravity Fed Water Supply Systems (GFWSS), these tribal communities were able to harness water from the springs right to their homes. From being water scarce, these communities now enjoy 24/7 clean drinking water.
Why it worked Clean water, sustainability: Springs are the cleanest natural water source and the hilly terrain makes it easy to harness water under gravity from a higher elevation to a lower one at little cost. This made GFWSS a more viable option than borewells. At just Rs 5,600 per household, the technology was simple and low-cost. The concrete tanks and high density polyethylene piping used last up to eight years with only routine inspection required, making it easier to maintain. Moreover, since hill communities see springs as part of their village eco-system, formalising and developing such a water resource fostered a greater sense of ownership. The people volunteered labour and each household paid Rs 10 monthly for operation and maintenance. Gram panchayats also oversaw the project throughout, strengthening community involvement. Going forward After the success in Vishakhapatnam, VJNNS expanded the project to Srikakulam and now in neighbouring districts. In time, VJNNS went from being an implementer to a resource agency, training local NGOs in GFWSS.
10
years
We funded one of the first programs for large scale household groundwater recharge through rainwater harvesting, in India.
10
Arghyam’s Top
Thrissur, Kerala
Catching rain drops: Mazhapolima People on a mission Open wells are the primary source of drinking water in Kerala. Despite substantial rainfall, these wells dry up quickly during peak summertime in the absence of adequate recharge systems. The groundwater here is also high in iron content. Using a simple method of rooftop rainwater harvesting, Mazhapolima or ‘bounty of rain’ has dramatically improved access to adequate and clean drinking water for nearly 18,000 households in Kerala. First introduced in Thrissur, Mazhapolima is now being scaled to other districts of Kerala. Why it worked In a place where nearly every house has open wells, Mazhapolima was practical and affordable. The entire system cost about Rs 5,000. Moreover, marginalised communities received additional government subsidy. Simple method, simpler message: The simple nature of the messaging and the district administration’s efforts transformed a government programme into a people’s movement. The technology was basic, the cost low and the context localised. The active involvement of the media, Panchayats, schools, citizens’ groups and NGOs helped. Sustainable: Mazhapolima addressed a basic need – water. This inspired people to take it up on their own. Households paid 25% of the cost, making it financially sustainable. Gram panchayats oversaw the project, helping build post-project sustainability. Since the system was basic, it was also easy to improvise and build upon. Going forward Perhaps the biggest of any of Arghyam’s projects in terms of scale, Mazhapolima was adopted in nearly 50% of the state within a span of just five years.
18,000 households, 6 districts, 70 months, Rs 1.1 crore funded, Rs 6.8 crore mobilised
10
years We convened a nationwide civil society consultation on water and sanitation for the Planning Commission in the run up to the 12th Five Year Plan, and provided key inputs on groundwater management.
10
Arghyam’s Top
A confluence to overcome conflicts A negotiating space Water conflicts in India are aggravated by the paucity of frameworks, policies and mechanisms to resolve and prevent them. As water becomes scarce, conflicts around water are bound to increase and communities marginalised by gender, class, caste and ethnicity will bear the brunt. The Forum for Policy Dialogue on Water Conflicts in India brings together people to work on water conflict issues. Anchored by SOPPECOM, the Forum has documented conflicts since 2008. It has created frameworks, established resource centres in Kerala and Odisha and influenced public policies. Key outcomes The Forum has successfully created dialogues around water conflicts in the mainstream, discussed through participation in the Planning Commission’s Five Year Plan working groups, other government committees, citizens’ groups, international forums and water alliances, and by organising workshops and conferences. With over 150 members and organisations, it has a large network of regional groups, individuals and institutions with a nuanced understanding of technical, non-partisan solutions. The Forum’s documentation, including three compendiums on conflicts in Odisha, North East and on floods and two reports on entitlements and legal frameworks, has been widely referred to for water policies. The Forum’s action research work has helped provide solutions and promoted stakeholder dialogue in the Chalakudy, Hirakud and Mullaiperiyar conflicts. Their solution for creating a reservoir operations model in the Athirapally conflict was adopted by the Kerala Government. Going forward In its second phase, the Forum is working on applying normative frameworks for the Mahanadi basin conflict, and on water sharing principles between Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The Forum also submitted recommendations to the External Approval Committee on Mullaiperiyar and a critique on the MoWR Report on E-Flows.
All India-network, 46 months, Rs 99 lakh funded
10
years
We reduced distress migration in Gujarat, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh by helping communities become water secure.
Kutch, Gujarat
10
Arghyam’s Top
Scarce to secure: Kutch’s water story Water and livelihoods
With an arid climate, low rainfall and depleting groundwater reserves, Kutch district in Gujarat is no stranger to distress migration. But things are changing as Rapar block in Kutch emerges as a model for water security-based livelihoods. Over nearly eight years, Samerth Trust has worked closely with gram panchayats in Rapar, making them water secure. Samerth began by creating and reviving local water structures. Based on local needs and using local material, these were anchored by the community and combined traditional knowledge with science. ACT trained communities on hydrogeology and embedded para hydrogeologists within them. Over time, livelihoods were assured as government schemes like MGNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act) were brought in to scale the effort. As the project evolved, the work extended to the promotion of safe sanitation and menstrual hygiene. A total of 6,529 people gained livelihoods, with 622 families clocking 74,640 person days under MGNREGA to create water-based assets. Why it worked
80,664 people, 20 GPs, 65 vandhs*, 90 months, Rs 1.30 crore funded, Rs 5.04 crore mobilised
Samerth’s evolution and adaption, coupled with a deep community engagement that kept people at the heart of water security planning, has created a sense of ownership and ensured sustainability. Samerth has been able to include vulnerable and marginalised communities such as the Kholis, who were traditionally excluded from the process. Our partner has also grown from an implementing agency to a support organisation for government agencies and has brought in other local partners to expand reach and scope of work. Samerth has also leveraged nearly three times what we funded, from MGNREGA. By addressing water security first and then securing livelihoods, followed by sanitation and other issues, this model provides a good pathway for engagement in arid regions of the country. Going forward
Having covered 20%, the project is now set to be rolled out across all 97 panchayats in Rapar. Samerth is working with other partners, the district administration and CSR to build holistic district level water security. Samerth is also working on a similar model for tribal areas in Chhattisgarh. * Habitations
10
years
We empowered gram panchayats to manage water resources through structured governance.
10
Arghyam’s Top
Davangere, Karnataka
Changing behaviours for better sanitation A nudge in the right direction
It is increasingly accepted that the adoption of safe, sustainable sanitation by communities requires an attitudinal change. Having good communication is therefore fundamental to any scheme that hopes to eliminate open defecation. In 2013, Arghyam partnered with the Government of Karnataka to design and implement a focused behaviour change communication campaign. Working with professional behaviour change and communication agencies such as Centre for Gravity, we designed a campaign to motivate people to build toilets under the government scheme. Dubbed ‘Jaldi NBA’, it was rolled out with the support of the district in 25 gram panchayats of Davangere district in Karnataka in 2014. Within four months, over 5,000 households built toilets! Why it worked
At the heart of the messaging was the use of an emotional motivator – that of a responsible father to motivate people, which we found to be more effective than a rational motivator like health impact. This was coupled with simplified communication around the scheme process. We used Swachhata Doots (sanitation messengers) to personally reach out to people. Door-to-door invites assured households of their eligibility, while the ‘Jaldi Promise’ assured people of payment of incentive within 20 days. Going forward
The Davangere campaign was driven by relevant and impactful messaging based on insights from extensive research. Such a research-led communication would be invaluable to achieve the Swachh Bharat Mission’s objectives. The time-bound ‘Jaldi Promise’ can be instrumental in restoring credibility, while a reliable data collection method will help in effective planning and evaluation.
15,037 households, 5,100 toilets constructed, 119 villages, 14 months, Rs 1.19 crore funded, Rs 37 lakh mobilised
10
years
We designed and executed ‘Ashwas’, India’s first citizen and civil societyled state-wide survey on water and sanitation.
10
Arghyam’s Top
Real-time data monitoring tool, 18 months, Rs 32 lakh funded
The great Indian toilet tracker Data for decisions
There have been many public rural sanitation schemes in India, starting with the Central Rural Sanitation Programme as far back as 1986. Yet the 2011 Census revealed that open defecation was still very prevalent as only 30.7% of rural India had access to toilets. To address this, in 2012, the Government increased funding for its flagship rural sanitation scheme, the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA), by 425%. In October 2012, Arghyam partnered with Accountability Initiative and Gramener to develop an online data monitoring tool, ‘State of Sanitation’ (SoS), to understand and measure the NBA’s impact against investment. Hosted on the India Water Portal, the tool concurrently captured the NBA’s progress and, through visualisation, presented the data in a manner that was easy to understand and publicly accessible. A resultant report in 2014, titled ‘From outlays to outcomes: Understanding the status of rural sanitation data’, analysed the NBA’s planning and implementation and helped the Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation (MDWS) understand if the programme was equipped to accurately measure the outcome (usage) rather than just the output (construction). Why it worked
Using simple technology, SoS not only provided a real-time update of the MDWS data, but also made it accessible to a wider audience. SoS helped identify best practices as well as gaps and lessons to improve subsequent planning and implementation. Going forward
State of Sanitation is a powerful tool that democratises data: it creates a platform of transparency and accountability where citizens can interact directly with the government. The MDWS expressed interest in designing a similar tool for their internal monitoring. It is equally powerful as an advocacy tool, and as Arghyam moves forward, we hope to use data to tell our stories better.
10
years
We set up the Fluoride and Arsenic Knowledge and Action Networks, the first of their kind to address water quality in India.
10
2,982 households, 1 district, 66 months, Rs 56 lakh funded
Arghyam’s Top
Dindigul, Tamil Nadu
On a swachh mission Self help sanitation Six years ago, Gandhigram Trust, funded by Arghyam, set out to improve sanitation in five gram panchayats in Dindigul district, Tamil Nadu. Today, the success of Gandigram’s original model has led to collaboration with the Government’s flagship sanitation programme, the Swachh Bharat Mission, and scaling up of the project to three more blocks in Dindigul. Working first to address water security, Gandhigram then focused on sanitation. Here, Gandhigram’s participatory approach model put community members at the forefront. Trained by Gandhigram in hygiene, water and sanitation, gram panchayat functionaries, women self help groups (SHGs) and community resource persons spread the message, informing the community of the need for toilets and better hygiene practices. Through a revolving fund, Gandhigram provided interest-free loans to construct toilets and trained masons. Additionally, Gandhigram also promoted solid and liquid waste management practices.
Why it worked With the lack of sanitation impacting women more acutely than their male counterparts and the fact that women are primary managers of hygiene and sanitation in their homes, the messaging through women SHG members and volunteers proved to be highly effective. Training of key community members such as the gram panchayats and community resource persons further ensured sustainability. The interestfree loans then and the subsidy under the Mission now, also made toilet construction cost-effective – at just Rs 1,800 per household. Going forward Collaboration with the government has enabled Gandhigram to not only scale the project to five blocks overall in Dindigul, but also ensure quicker release of subsidies, expand awareness activities and conduct monitoring and data documentation. Over 2,000 households built toilets in the first year of this collaboration in 2014-15.
10
years
We supported 186 urban slums in a single district become open defecation-free.
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Arghyam’s Top
5,700 people, 186 urban slums, 18 months, Rs 26 lakh funded, Rs 2 crore mobilised
Trichy, Tamil Nadu
Bottom up clean cities No more open defecation in Trichy Open defecation is a problem not just in rural India. A 2009 survey by Gramalaya, our NGO partner which has been working in Tiruchirappalli (Trichy) district in Tamil Nadu since 1987, found that 41% of the district’s slum population used community toilets, while 44% did not have household water connections. The survey covering over 75,000 households was the first step in the Arghyam-supported project to improve water and sanitation in Trichy’s urban slums. At the centre of Gramalaya’s successful model was AWASH – Association for Water, Sanitation & Hygiene. Gramalaya identified 1,200 AWASH members comprising of youth leaders, women self help group (SHG) members and community leaders. Gramalaya also set up a city sanitation task force with AWASH members and government officials. Trained by Gramalaya, AWASH members promoted and ensured sustainable water and sanitation works in their areas. They also mobilised Gramalaya’s low-interest loans for toilet construction. In time, AWASH became the conduit between the people and the government, helping increase coverage of schemes and monitoring their progress.
Within a year and a half, household water supply had increased by 16%, underground drainage coverage by 25% and number of household toilets by 11%. Why it worked The concept of AWASH made the messaging more effective and enabled community take-over of the project. Equal participation of men and women also ensured gender equality. Following the project’s success, Trichy was ranked 7th best city in sanitation by the Union Ministry of Urban Development. Going forward After the completion of the project in Trichy, Gramalaya is now working as a resource agency for three field NGOs in Perambalur, Namakkal and Pudukottai districts to increase water and sanitation coverage, with Arghyam funding the software support.
10
years
We supported India’s first and largest portal dedicated to water, the India Water Portal (IWP).
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Arghyam’s Top
A dedicated water portal: India’s first An information gateway India Water Portal (IWP) is the first and the largest open access online sharing platform dedicated to water in India. Funded and managed by Arghyam, it has English, Hindi and Kannada versions as well as a Schools and a Sanitation portal. Since 2007, the Portal has built a repository of information and resources – from people stories to news and features on government policies and water campaigns to datasets and toolkits. Teams in different locations report stories, curate news and policy updates, answer questions and connect with users on a daily basis. The Portal’s user base includes experts, researchers, governments, schools, citizen groups, companies, NGOs and the media. IWP has been a powerful tool in democratising information and reaching out to wider audiences to enable a better understanding of water issues in India and influence action. Actively advocating messages around water, IWP launched its first campaign in 2011-12 to spread awareness on fluoride contamination in groundwater among school children through video tutorials and classroom activity, disseminated through the Schools Water Portal. ‘Catch Every Drop’ in 2013 reached out to citizen groups across Bangalore city to spread awareness on water, in partnership with The Alternative. IWP’s Data Project, launched in 2011-12, has grown to over 300 datasets on water and has advocated with the government to make around 700 datasets open source. Instrumental in building a dedicated Water Data Community in India, the Portal also seeks to influence better decision-making with the help of credible, open data on water. The Portal also has a growing social media presence with 12,000 followers on Twitter and over 5,000 followers on Facebook. Our weekly English newsletter currently has 15,000 subscribers.
Over 18 lakh annual users, 3 languages, 21 locations, 6,968 photographs, 789 videos, 300+ datasets, 8 years (and counting)
Financials 2014 -15
10 years of safe, sustainable water for all Annual Report 2014-15 Chairperson Mrs. Rohini Nilekani Trustees Mr. Narayan Ramachandran Mr. Sriram Raghavan
Reference, partial reproduction and transmission by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise is not allowed without prior consent. Any commercial use of this material requires the written consent of the copyright owners.
Published by Arghyam, Bengaluru, 2015 Copyright Š Arghyam
Ms. Janhavi Nilekani
Author and Editor: Advocacy, Research and
Dr. Sonalde Desai
Communications Team on behalf of Arghyam
Dr. Shiv Someshwar
Designed by: Barapani
Ms. Sunita Nadhamuni
Photo credits: Arghyam staff, Arghyam partner organisations and India Water Portal
Advisors Mr. Ravi Narayanan Mr. S Vishwanath Chief Executive Officer Mrs. Jayamala Subramaniam
#599, 12th Main HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar Bangalore 560008 Karnataka, India Phone:+91 80 41698941/42 Email: advocacy@arghyam.org Website: www.arghyam.org https://www.youtube.com/user/arghyamgrants @arghyamindia