The two documents describe five case studies that highlight some successes and best practices from the Water Supply and Sanitation Department, Government of Maharashtra.

The first document (Part 1) on best practices on groundwater/water sources includes case studies on:
1. Protection of existing sources (village: Paturda, taluka: Sangrampur, district: Buldhana)
In village Paturda, source wells were dirty and neglected, some of these wells had become garbage dumps.
Surroundings of the wells had turned into defecation spots. Villagers were taken on a visit to these places in their own village, which motivated the villagers to work together to clean the place. Cleaning drive at one well inspired the same for the other two places.
2. Rainfall measurement (village: Titvi , taluka: Parola, district: Jalgaon)
The project aimed at generating awareness in the village about the actual rainfall amounts and the total reaching the village across a particular water year. In Adgaon (Yaval taluka), Titvi (Parola taluka) and Malshevga (Chalisgaon taluka) rain gauges were made and rainfall recording was started. Daily rainfall could be monitored using a rain gauge made from a mineral water bottle with top removed and inverted . This had to be placed in a location where trees or buildings did not interfere with rainfall, preferably on a roof and with a scale in mm.

The second document (Part 2) on best practices on water quality includes the following cases studies:
1. Storage of quality water (village: Adgaon, taluka: Yaval, district: Jalgaon)
Objective : To ensure no build-up of calcium carbonate inside drinking water storage tanks and better chlorine testing.
Best practice adopted : In the Jalswarajya model village of Adgaon in Yaval taluka of Jalgaon district, awareness generation on this aspect was done, the villagers thus cleaned the calcium carbonate deposits from the tank floor. The community was also been trained on proper chlorination procedures and appropriate testing, supported by the youth groups in the village.
2. Source protection (village: Adgaon, taluka: Yaval, district: Jalgaon)
Objective : To ensure that local sources of contamination do not affect quality of drinking water sources in the village. During a walk of the village with community members, it was seen that a public urinal, built immediately next to a drinking water source for the village was discharging urine into the drain channel around the source and posing a direct threat to water quality. Gram panchayat members immediately decided to demolish the urinal, which was completed in two days. Women using the adjacent clothes washing area expressed their satisfaction that the source of pollution had been removed and their health was not at risk.
3. Small measure for water protection Jalgaon district villages, viz Adgaon (Yaval taluka), Titvi (Parola taluka) and Malshevga (Chalisgaon taluka).
Objective: To encourage low cost, effective household level water, sanitation and hygiene actions that will have greatest impact on child health.
Best practice adopted : In the Jalgaon district villages, viz Adgaon (Yaval taluka), Titvi (Parola taluka) and Malshevga (Chalisgaon taluka). Self help groups and youth groups have been motivated to persuade families to adopt best practices at the family level in an effort to reduce incidence of diarrhoeal disease by creating a barrier to contamination. Some of the key measures adopted were :

• Water storage vessels were fitted with taps, covers and raised stands.
• Turbid water was filtered using 4-fold sari cloth.
• Liquid chlorine drops was added to drinking water.
• Latrines were constructed and used.
• Hand washing practices were improved.
• Children were encouraged to use chappals

Women in these villages are already noticing that diarrhoea is less common after the interventions.

Download both the documents from below: