Rural

This paper published in the journal Current Science discusses the various factors that impact effective water quality management in rural India. The article informs that access to safe drinking water remains an urgent necessity, as 30% of urban and 90% of rural households still depend completely on untreated surface or groundwater.

While access to drinking water in India has increased over the past decade, the tremendous adverse impact of unsafe water on health continues. It is estimated that about 21% of communicable diseases in India are water related.

Although some degree of intervention in terms of chlorination and monitoring of water quality exists in major cities and towns, rural India, which constitutes the bulk (70%) of the population, is usually deprived of such interventions. The population in rural India is mainly dependent on the groundwater as a source of drinking water. As a quality concern the groundwater is often found to be contaminated with fluoride, arsenic, iron and salts. In recent years, fluorosis has emerged as major public health issue in rural India.Read More

This handbook published by Arghyam is a compilation of the insights and knowledge gained from conducting the ASHWAS (A Survey of Household Water and Sanitation) study, which included a participatory survey undertaken by Arghyam to ascertain the status of household water and sanitation in rural Karnataka, from a citizen's perspective.

The handbook was created as a result of several organisations expressing their interest in conducting an exercise similar to ASHWAS. The purpose of this handbook is thus to serve as a template for those wishing to carry out a similar effort in the other parts of the country.Read More

This country-level report on the assessment of drinking water supply and sanitation in India is the result of a collaborative exercise between the Planning Commission of India, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) as part of a joint monitoring programme for the sector. Read More

The  mission of the Rajasthan Urban Housing and Habitat Policy (RUHHP - 06) is:

• To provide shelter to all the sections of the population
• To ensure sustainable development of human settlements
• To ensure a better quality of life for the population
• To adopt a multisectoral approach and involve and use the potential of all levels of stakeholders.

The RUHHP-06 is broadly in consonance with latest National  Housing and Habitat Policy-2005 (Ist draft has been issued). The document goes on to highlight the present urban and  rural situation in Rajasthan, the increasing population density in the urban areas because of migration of people from rural to urban areas and the housing issues arising because of this increased density of population in urban areas.Read More

The policy thus focuses on balanced development, promotion of in situ-urbanisation, vertical construction and the use of sustainable development models.