Ots 24 > Oac24061 > Rajiv

1.0 INTRODUCTION Health is defined by world health Organisation (WHO) as “complete physical and mental state of well being”. Health is accepted as a basic human right and an integral part of living shared among other humans in the community. Health relates to everything that goes to constitute human life- style and life system. Health is to be taken beyond the advocacy level to the common concern of all. As a right, health is to be asserted rather than given or taken. Human health can only develop in a healthy environment where a comprehensive and transparent health care system exists with freedom of choice or decision, accountability and responsible behaviour. The health scenario is further complicated by ever rising demands and craving for relief than prevention and proper management. Other problems like unsafe water, insufficient food and nutrition, growing indoor and outer pollution, child and early marriage, sex determination or subjugation, decreased productivity, lack of ample work opportunities and displacement of population. The health status of an individual, a community or a nation is determined by the interplay of two ecological universes – the internal environment of man himself and the external environment, which surrounds him. By internal environment we mean the defense mechanism of the individual inherited and acquired by him. Air, water, soil, plants etc constitute the external environment. There is intimate relationship between human health and the natural resources as healthy environment is the indicator of good health of the people. Environmental deterioration is directly related to the pollution of soil, water etc. which has profound impact on human health. 1.1 Water and health Water is as fundamental for human life as it is for other organisms- animals and plants. To sustain life, water must be of good quality (without substances harmful or toxic to human) and available to living things. Conversely, contamination of drinking water and degradation of water resources often have very direct negative implications for human health. According to an estimate two third of total diseases in India is caused by polluted water. The relationship between water and diseases can be summarised in the table 1. 1

Table: 1 Relationship between water and diseases Type of disease Water borne

Transmission Example Disease is transmitted by Diahorrea ingestion

Enteric fever Hepatitis

Water washed

Transmission is reduced Diahorrea

(Water scarce)

with an increase in water Trachoma quantity

Water based

Scabies

The pathogens spend part Guinea worm of its life cycle in animal Schistosomiasis which is water based. The pathogens are transmitted by

Water related vector

ingestion

or

by

penetration of skin Spread by insects that Malaria breed near water

Source: A text book of zoology by A. Prasad

Another relationship between ill health and water can be found in the water scarce areas where drinking water is not available in sufficient quantity. Women and children are the most affected section of the society from this situation. Fetching water is among the most strenuous tasks carried by women. Despite the ILO recommendation that women should carry a maximum load of 25 to 30 kilograms most women are forced to trudge long distances with weights as much as 40 to 50 kilograms. Carrying heavy loads on the head, shoulders and hips require muscular strengths and skill. Women carrying water have to slant their body in order to balance the weight and have to walk in this posture for a long distance. Over a period of time, postural defects of the neck, 2

spines and pelvis may develop. Women are also at a risk of accidents leading to fractures, slipped discs and paralysis. Standing and squatting, such physical strain can lead to uterine problem and they run the risk of giving premature births. 1.2 Water, soil, agriculture, income and health Water is vital for agriculture. Due to lack of irrigation facilities the yield from the land goes down considerably if the rainfall is not sufficient. On the other hand, if there heavy torrential rain it increases the soil erosion and ultimately the land becomes infertile due to loss of topsoil. Less agricultural yield means lees income and it has been remarked for centuries that ill health goes with poverty. If there is no irrigation facility or they are very limited, farmers tend to neglect the cultivation of fruits and vegetables and it goes without saying that vitamin and mineral supplements could only be met through vegetables and green leaves. Hence nutritional aspect is also neglected which further leads to poor health. 1.3 Agricultural practices and health Different techniques are used in agriculture for higher yield. Green revolution is the fallout of this itself. On one hand there has been increase in the production but on the other hand use of chemical fertilizer, pesticide and herbicide has also increased the price we have to pay in the form of water pollution. Leaching or surface runoff from fields treated with pesticides represents a non point source of toxic organic substances and it can contaminate drinking water source. Leaching also include the transport of inorganic substances like nitrate, phosphate or heavy metals. Such substances can lead to health problems if consumed in high doses. Women involved in spraying of the pesticides or indirectly exposed to pesticides suffer from vomiting, difficulty in breathing and fatigue. Infant also suffer health problems as they inhale these toxic fumes from their mother’s clothes. 1.4 Sanitation and health Sanitation is important to human health. It prevents contact with bacteria and viruses. Open defecation is an unhealthy practice. Infact for the first time the term “polluted water” was used for the water polluted by human excreta. In human excreta both carbonic and non3

carbonic matter are found. Due to abundance of carbonic matter different kinds of microorganisms such as bacteria, protozoa, and virus grow fast. Whenever human fececate in open, the excreta along with rainwater mixes with water sources and pollute them. Lack of proper drainage and throwing trashes in open also causes different diseases due to breeding of flies and mosquitoes. 1.5 Deforestation and health Increased deforestation has reduced the nature’s ability to clean the air thus the air pollution related diseases have increased. It has also contributed to the blowing of irreplaceable topsoil causing soil erosion, siltation and progressive loss of productivity. Fuel wood is the principal cause of deforestation. Use of fuelwood in traditional chulhas causes problems like painful and watering eyes, chest infections, ear infections, breathlessness, chest pain, difficulty in breathing and frequent headaches. 1.6 Awareness and health Lack of awareness about causes of diseases also contributes to poor health. Unawareness prevents people from taking safeguards to prevent diseases. Due to lack of awareness, children are not immunized. The children pay price for this in the form of different diseases like TB, Diphtheria, Polio etc. Drinking water from the same sources from where animals drink water, drinking water without boiling increases the incidence of diseases like Diahorrea, Dysentery etc. In case of disease like AIDS where prevention is the only cure, awareness is of prime importance.

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2.0 OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY This is an exploratory intented to prepare a project proposal for improved community health through water management in Habban and Kotla Bangi panchayat. The study covered the economic, social, educational and sanitation and nutritional status of the area. The project proposal takes into account the natural resource base in the area, needs and aspirations of the local people and organizational skills and expertise to take up the study. 3.0 METHODOLOGY Primary data were collected through following means:



Household survey: All the 232 households under the project area were surveyed with the help of a structured interview.



Group meetings: Group meetings were arranged with the people for discussing the problems they were facing. These meetings generally took place at night as farmers used to be busy during day-time in their fields.



Discussions with key informants: Discussions with the Pradhans of the panchayat were very helpful in getting some information, which were otherwise not evident.

Secondary data were gathered from: 

Tehsil office



Patwari office



DRDA records

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4.0 AREA PROFILE 4.1 Himachal Pradesh Himachal Pradesh, known as Dev Bhoomi (Land of gods) is a hilly and mountainous region known for its natural beauty and rich culture. It is situated entirely in the western Himalayas barring some parts, which fall under Shivalik ranges. It is well known for its fruits like apple, peach, plum etc. The state generates most of its income from forests, hydel power, road transport, tourism and industries like fruit processing, sericulture etc. Its geographic location is such that it is of strategic significance for the country. It is spread over an area of 55,673 square kilometers and has a population of 6077248. The decadal growth rate for the state has been 17.35 % for the decade 1991- 2001. The average density is 109 persons per square kilometer. Administratively the state is divided into twelve districts namely Chamba, Kangra, Lahul and Spiti, Mandi, Hamirpur, Una, Bilaspur, Solan, Sirmaur, Shimla and Kinnaur. The people of Himachal Pradesh are very simple and religious. They celebrate the festivals with great enthusiasm and are very keen to preserve their art and culture. The inhabitants of different regions can easily be recognised particularly the women. Most of the population is confined to valleys and lower slopes of the hills. Economy of the state is largely agrarian. The industrial base is comparatively weaker. The agricultural production to a greater extent depends on the whim and fancies of the weather. The irrigation facility is not very good. Thus timely rainfall in sufficient amount is the only hope for the farmers. Agriculture being the major occupation of the people, the importance of the agriculture in the economy can hardly be overemphasised. Steep and hilly terrain, hazards of the climate, small and scattered land holdings, thin sandy soil, limited irrigation facilities are the major hurdle as far as the agriculture is concerned. The scope of increasing the cultivable area is not much. Since the alternative source of livelihood is limited, the peasantry has to make its existence under the difficult conditions where the nature is stern mother. High and torrential rainfall and the nature of the rocks combine to cause erosion, landslide and hinder transport. Soil erosion further leads to decrease in the agricultural yield. 6

Difficult terrain, severe winter, lack of adequate transport facility and other infrastructure have been obvious hindrances in the industrial development. This limitation causes unemployment and compels people to depend on agriculture. Extensive, efficient and economical means of transport and communication are essential for economic, social and cultural development. On account of remoteness of location and hilly terrain, the state has remained practically isolated and thus economically and socially backward. 4.2 Sirmaur Sirmaur is one of the twelve districts if Himachal Pradesh. It lies in the outer Himalayan ranges commonly called Shivaliks between 77º 01’12” and 77º 49’ 40” east longitude and 30º 22’ 30” and 31º 01’ 20” north latitude and except of the Dun valley, which is called Kiar-dodum, the district is predominantly mountainous with deep, valleys lying between ranges of varying elevation. It is bounded by Shimla district in the north, the rivers Tons and Yamuna in the east, district Panchkula of Haryana in south - west and by Solan in north- west. The river Giri is the biggest river in the district which originates from Katkhal / Jubbal tehsil of Shimla and flows down to south – east and divides the Sirmaur district into almost two equal parts known as cis Giri and trans Giri. It ultimately joins the river Yamuna near Paonta Sahib. The district is divided into six tehsils namely Rajgarh, Pachhad, Nahan, Paonta Sahib, Shilai and Renuka.

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4.3 Project Area The project area falls under two panchayat namely – Habban and Kotla Bangi in Rajgarh tehsil. It comprises of six villages three each from two panchayats. Apart from these villages six hamlets are also covered under the project area. The Administrative detail of the area is following: District……………………………………………Sirmaur Development Block………………………………Rajgarh Tehsil……………………………………………..Rajgarh Sub Tehsil………………………………………...Rajgarh Panchayat………………………………………...Habban and Kotla Bangi Table: 2 Project area Sl. No. 1

Village Ritab Pal

2 3 4 5 6

Jalag Jagher Shalech Drabla Dhania Ser Kashmali Shalogni Chandol

Hamlets Badihog,

Kufar,

jubbar,Naliya Jhaltu Naroth, Bhog

5.0 CLIMATE

8

Jhot

Panchayat ka Habban Kotla Bangi Kotla Bangi Kotla Bangi Habban Habban

The climate of the area varies according to the elevation. The terrain is mountainous and the elevation ranges from 1400 meters to 1996 meters. The summer is from March to June. After the end of February temperature rises gradually till June, which is the hottest month. Fig: 1 Temperature detail

35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0

mean max mean min

No v

Se p

Ju ly

M ay

ar ch M

ja n

averege

Source: Tehsil records With the onset of the monsoon by the end of June there is a decrease in the temperature. Nearly ninety five percent of the annual rainfall is received during the period of June to September. July and August receive the maximum rainfall. In association with the western disturbances some rain is also occurs in the period of January to March. The precipitation in the winter season is mostly in the form of snow.

Fig: 2 Rainfall in the area

9

300

258.4

285

250 200 150 100

131.6

63.3 49.4

25.2

0

0

5.1

ja n Fe b M ar A pr M ay Ju ne Ju ly A ug S ep O ct N ov D ec

50 18.1 3.6 0

144.7

Source: Tehsil records After the withdrawal of the monsoon by the middle of September temperature decreases gradually first and rapidly after November. January is generally the coldest month. In association with western disturbances temperature may go down to freezing point.

6.0 OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

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The objectives of the interventions are following: 

Raising the water table of the area



Check the soil erosion



Provide safe drinking water to the people



Increase the income generating capacities of the people



Increase the awareness among the people regarding health and hygiene



Develop proper sanitation facilities

The objectives are both long term and short term. Development of sanitation facilities, increased awareness, safe drinking water and income generating schemes will show short term results. Whereas, the activities relating to raising water table and checking of soil erosion will show its impact in a longer duration. The over all goal of the project is to improve the health status of the people, which should be sustainable.

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7.0 RESULTS 7.1 Population There are 232 households in the area with a population of 1234. Out of it 627 are male and 607 are females. Thus the sex ratio comes to 968, which is greater than the sex ratio of the district that is 901. It shows that the practice of female feticide is not prevalent in the area. In Ritab Pal and chandol, the female population is greater than the male population. It stands testimony to the fact. The average family size comes around 5.31. Table: 3 Population details of the area Village

No. of houses

General

SC

Total

Male

Female

Male

Female

Ritab Pal

59

87

90

55

56

288

Jalag Jagher

40

33

22

82

79

216

Shalech Drabla

52

111

100

38

33

282

Dhania Ser

23

49

51

1

0

101

Kashmali Shalogni Chandol

37

41

39

83

86

249

21

39

38

8

13

98

An attempt was also made to divide the population on the basis of the family size. They were categorized into four categories. It is clear from the table 4 that nearly half of the families (50.5 %) fall under the category of three to five member family. The average family size comes around 5.31. It gives the indication that family planning is practiced by most of the families.

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Table: 4 Division of households on the basis of family size Village

1-2

%

3-5

%

6-8

%

>9

%

Total

Ritab Pal

8

13.6

33

55.9

17

28.8

1

1.7

59

Jalag Jagher

4

10.0

16

40.0

18

45.0

2

5.0

40

Shalech Drabla

2

3.8

29

55.8

18

34.6

3

5.8

52

Dhania Ser

3

13.0

15

65.2

4

17.4

1

4.4

23

Kashmali Shalogni

2

5.4

10

27.0

19

51.4

6

16.2

37

Chandol

1

4.8

14

66.6

6

28.6

0

0

21

Total

20

8.6

117

50.5

82

35.3

13

5.6

232

During the survey the Stock of physical assets were also taken. It can help in assessing the economic status of the people in the area at the same time it demonstrate that to what extent people use cooking gas rather than wood as fuel. It also demonstrates the usage of latrines in the area. It is evident from the data that Jalag jagher is poorest among all the villages in all the aspects, it is noteworthy here that this village has the maximum SC population. Over all 59.5 % households in the area uses wood as fuel. Hence it puts enormous pressure on the forests. Here again jalag Jagher fairs poorly, here only 12.5 % of the households have LPG and rest depend on the woods from the forests. Only 1.3 % of the households have latrines, it shows that practice of open fececation is prevalent in the area.

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%

Latrine

%

Sewing machine

%

Stove

%

Scooter

LPG

%

Motorcycle /

%

Car

%

Fridge

%

Telephone

%

Radio

%

Village

TV

Table: 5 Details of asset

Ritab Pal

27

45.8

25

42.4

12

20.3

4

6.8

0

0

5

8.5

20

33.9

15

25.4

12

20.3

3

5.1

Jalag

6

15

12

30.0

6

15

0

0

0

0

1

2.5

5

12.5

4

10.0

5

12.5

0

0

Jagher Shalech

18

34.6

32

61.5

18

34.6

0

0

0

0

0

0

27

51.9

3

5.7

8

15.3

0

0

Drabla Dhania

16

69.5

18

78.2

12

52.1

2

8.6

1

4.3

0

0

15

65.2

0

0

8

34.7

0

0

Ser Kashmali 21

56.7

31

83.7

15

40.5

0

0

0

0

0

0

14

37.8

0

0

7

18.9

0

0

Shalogni Chandol

6

28.5

13

61.9

7

33.3

0

0

0

0

0

0

13

61.9

0

0

2

9.3

0

0

Total

94

40.5

13

56.5

70

30.2

6

2.6

1

0.4

6

2.6

94

40.5

22

9.5

42

18.1

3

1.3

1

14

7.2 Land and Agriculture The project area is spread over 1208 hectare. Land utilization is given in the table 6. Irrigation facility is very limited. According to Tehsil records101 hectare out of 248 cultivated lands is irrigated but the record is outdated and over the years the water sources have decreased or the water flow has come down. As a result the actual irrigated land is much less than the recorded one. Table: 6 Land utilisation in the area Village

Cultivated

Irrigated

Cultivable

Uncultivable Forest

Total

wasteland 12

28

256

Ritab Pal

54

13

wasteland 162

Jalag

29

9

276

9

2

316

Jagher Shalech

29

10

199

12

1

241

Drabla Dhania

40

3

90

4

4

Ser Kashmali

47

17

57

8

57

169

Shalogni Chandol

49

19

23

9

7

88

Total

248

101

807

54

99

1208

Fig: 3 Land utilization in each village

15

100% 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0%

Forest

Cultivable wasteland Cultivated

R

it a b Ja Pa la l g Ja S gh al ec er h D ra bl D K a h an as ia hm S al er iS ha lo gn i C ha nd ol

Uncultivable wasteland

Fig: 4 Land utilisation in whole project area

8.2 4.5

20.5

Cultivated cultivable wasteland Uncultivable wasteland Forest

66.8

It is noteworthy here that the forest cover in the area is only 8.2 % of the total land which is much lower than the stipulated 66 % in the hilly area. Situation is alarming in Jalag Jagher and Salech Drabla where forest cover is less than 1 %. Land holdings in the area are generally small and scattered, which is another hindrance in the better agricultural production. Scattered agricultural lands compel the farmers to put more

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efforts in their work. Classification of the farmers on the basis of the land holdings presents a dismal picture as 53 % of the farmers fall under the category of marginal farmers and 21.1 % are the small farmers. Six families in the area are landless. Table: 7 Categorisation of farmers Village

Marginal

Small

Small

Medium

Large

< 1 Ha

1 – 2 Ha

medium

4 – 7 Ha

> 7 ha

Ritab Pal

27

12

2 – 4 Ha 9

6

1

Jalag Jagher

31

7

0

2

0

Shalech

21

13

13

4

1

Drabla Dhania Ser

3

8

7

3

2

Kashmali

19

5

8

3

0

Shalogni Chandol

16

4

1

0

0

Total

117

49

38

18

4

Fig: 5 Land holding pattern in each village

17

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Large Medium l Ja gh Sa er lec hD rab la Dh an Ka ia sh Se ma r li S ha log ni Ch an do

Ja lag

Ri tab P

al

Small madium Small Marginal

Fig: 6 Land holding pattern of the whole project area

Marginal

7.8 1.7 16.4

Small 53

21.1

Small Medium Medium Large

The soil in the area varies from light sandy to heavy clay. The agricultural production is not very good due to lack of irrigation facility and the soil erosion further worsens the situation, which is a common feature here. Two principal harvests are cultivated in the 18

succession in a year. The first harvest is known as the kharif consisting of maize, potato, ginger, chillies and pulses. The second harvest is known as rabi consisting of wheat, barley etc. The usage of fertilizer is quite high. Commonly used chemical fertilizers are urea, NPK (better known as German mixture) and CAN (Calcium Ammonium Nitrate). Organic fertilizer is also used as almost all the farmers keep cattle but green manure usage is almost nil. Table: 8 Sowing and harvesting period Crop

Sowing Period

Harvesting Period

Maize

May – June

Sep – Oct

Wheat

Nov – Dec

April

Tomato

Feb – March

Nov - Dec

arley

Nov – Dec

April

Ginger

May

October

Pea

Nov – Dec

March – Apr

Garlic

Sep

March – Apr

Capsicum

June - July

Nov - Dec

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The production of the crops are not very good the reason being the lack of adequate irrigation facilities and the soil erosion. The following table gives the production details of the crops in the area. Table: 9 Agricultural production Sl.no.

Crop

1.

Wheat

Production per ha. in qts. Maximum Minimum 44 11

2.

Barley

33

5.5

3.

Maize

44

22

4.

Rajmah

11

5.5

5.

Urd

3.3

2.75

6.

Pea

77.

11

7.

Tomato

132

44

8.

Potato

165

44

9.

Ginger

132

44

10.

Garlic

132

22

11.

Capsicum

143

88

12.

Chilli

7.7

3.3

13.

French Beans

88

44

7.3 Livestock

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It has been said that agriculture has, like a bird, two wings, namely, land and cattle and that, as a bird is unable to fly with one wing only, similarly agricultural is not capable of high degree of development without cattle. On the same line the importance of the cattle is emphasized upon in the area but the quality of the cattle is poor. The common animals kept are cows, buffalos, bulls, horses, mules, goats, ships and poultry. The cows are tended for meeting the requirement of milk for the household and for replenishing the plough bulls. Beside, the cattle are also sources of supply of manure. The average milk yield from the local cows is about 1 to 2 litres per cow. Bulls are mainly kept for ploughing purpose. Buffaloes are meant for milk and Ghee but the number of the buffaloes in the area is much less than those of cows only those who are little better off keep buffaloes. The goat is poor man’s cow. It is also a principal source of meat for the masses. It is also considered to be near cash as it can be sold during the hard economic times. Sheep is mainly for wool and also for mutton and manure. Horses and mules support in the transportation. The following graph gives the numerical strength of the livestock in the project area. Fig: 7 Livestock in the area

600

537

500 400

320 248

300 200

90

100

20

16

15

7.4 Educational Status 21

ou lt r y P

ul e M

H or se

G oa t

he ep S

ul l B

uf fa lo B

C ow

0

10

The literacy level in area is quite good as 69.7% of the population is literate. The dropout rate in the area is about 10% for boys and around 17% for girls. However, after matriculation few go for higher education. There are several reasons for the same. First and the foremost being that senior secondary school is at Sanora and college at Solan which is at about 42 kilometers from the area. This is the major hurdle particularly for the female students. Furthermore, in the absence of employment opportunities and economy being mainly agrarian the importance of higher education is not realised. Out of 232 households surveyed 1081 people fall in the age group of six and above. Out of these 256 were primary educated, 158 were middle pass, 183 were either matriculate or plus two. Only 20 were graduates and 10 were postgraduates. There was only one village Dhania Sher where there are 8 graduates and 6 postgraduates. The lowest literacy rate among these is that of Jalag Jhager which is 64.3 %. Table: 10 Number of literates and illiterates Village

Illiterate

Primary

Middle

High

Graduate

School/

Post Graduate

Ritab Pal

64

124

22

Plus two 42

10

4

Jalag

71

56

20

33

0

0

Jagher Shalech

77

62

47

56

0

0

Drabla Dhania

26

8

14

17

8

6

Ser Kashmali

65

90

25

28

0

0

Shalogni Chandol

24

43

11

7

1

0

Total

327

383

158

183

20

10

Fig: 8 Educational status in each village

22

100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0%

Graduate High school

Ja gh Sa er lec hD rab la Dh an Ka ia sh Se ma r li S ha log ni Ch an do

Ja lag

Ri tab P

al

l

Middle Primary Illiterate

Figs: 9 Educational status of whole project area

16.9

0.9 1.9 30.3

14.6

35.4

7.5 Health and sanitation:

23

Illiterate Primary Middle High School Graduates PostGraduates

There is no health center in the area. The primary health center (PHC) is six kilometers away at Dhamla. The availability of the medicines is also a problem. In these circumstances the preventive measures become even more important. The diseases like malaria, Dysentery, Diahorrea, Trachoma, Scabies have high incidence rate in the area. Almost all the families have faced these diseases. Due to lack of proper diet during pregnancy, the delivery of the underweight child is recorded in large numbers. There is no sanitation facility in the area. Water form kitchen and bathroom flow in open and stagnate in the open pits. Situation is further worsened by open fececation.

8.0 PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED 24

There are areas like Shivapur, Jalag, Jhaltu and Drabla where there are no sufficient facilities for the drinking water. These areas have got pipe water supply from the government schemes but that is not sufficient. The situation is worse particularly in the summer. In the hamlet Shivapur, there are seven families and each of them gets only 300 liters of water for the whole week. Each family gets water once a week. In this situation, residents have to walk for about 2 to 3 kilometers to fetch water. No village in the proposed project area has got proper irrigation facility. People divert drinking water to their fields when it is not needed for the drinking purposes. But this happens only for 2 or 3 months, as pressure for the drinking water is already very high. Due to lack of irrigation facilities the agricultural production in not high. When there is not sufficient rain the production comes down to 30 % to 40 % of what it could have been. As it is an area of high and torrential rainfall, there is a big problem of soil erosion. Due to steep slopes of the mountains, the rainwater comes down with tremendous velocity and in the process the topsoil is blown away. Thus the soil gradually loses its productivity and the agricultural production comes down. Excessive use of chemical fertilizer has made the land less fertile and the heavy doses of pesticides have given rise to cases of persistent headache, vomiting etc. These are also causing the pollution of the water sources. There is no sanitation facility in the area either public or private. Only three households have got latrines and all others go for open feceation. This is also a reason of water pollution as the excreta mixes with rainwater and pollutes the water sources. There is another angle to the threat to the life that is while going for feceation during night there are chances of snakebite etc. This has been common incidence. There is absolute lack of drainage system. Dirty water from house flow in the open and it gives birth to flies and mosquitoes that cause diseases like malaria.

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People are unaware of the causes of water borne diseases like diahorrea and dysentery. They drink water from the same source from where the animals drink water. In the rainy season people neither treat water with chlorine nor do they boil it. Hence the incidence of water borne diseases increase radically during the rainy season. Ignorance sometimes leads to fatal condition. In the hamlet Jhaltu people drink water that comes from the source through the earthen channels. Women fetch water from long distances hence complains of persistent backache and cases of premature delivery are commonly noticed. Many children in the area are not completely immunized. Unawareness is the main reason behind it. People think that the polio drop that is given to the children is the complete immunization. During the survey many parents said that we have immunized our children we have given them polio drops. Nutritional status is also not encouraging. Wheat, maize and pulses are the main diet of the people but the proportion of vegetables, which is the major source of vitamins and minerals, is very less. Lack of irrigation facility is the reason for this as it hinders the cultivation of vegetables. Skin diseases and low blood pressure are the commonly problems that prevail in the area.

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9.0 SUGGESTIONS AND RECCOMENDATIONS If the sustainable improvement in the health of the people is to be made then a holistic approach has to be undertaken. It will consist of activities, which will improve the natural resources that will have a long-term benefit for the people, as well as activities that will show immediate impact on the health of the people. The emphasis has to be given for prophylactic measures instead of palliative measures. For lasting impact on health and nutritional status, the income-generating capacities of the people must be improved and their health consciousness developed so that they can look after their own health needs. Here one thing needs to be emphasized that owing to the prevailing situation in the area water resource development will continue to be the critical factor in the upliftment of the standard of living of the people in the area and hence their health. The activities that have to be undertaken can be categorized in five categories: 1. Soil and water conservation: Soil and water conservation is essential in order to raise the water table in the area and to retain the fertility of the soil. There are many good sites for the structures to be built. The following structures are to be developed: •

Concrete check Dams: These are mainly meant for conserving water at the same time it will also help to raise the water table. The soil erosion will also be checked, as the speed of the running water will be reduced.

•

Earthen Dams: These are similar to concrete dams except that soil is used in place of concrete. It is built where the intensity of flow of water is not high.

•

Percolation Tanks: It is targeted towards increasing the water table. It can also be used for irrigation. It also caters to the animals’ need of water.

27

•

Gully Plugging: It is done by constructing a dry stone masonry wall against the flow of water to plug gullies created by water flow. The fertile top soil gets stopped behind the walls. This can be removed and put back in the fields or even trees can be planted in the gullies, which help to break the high flow of water.

•

Trenching: Trenches are dug to check flow of water and loss of topsoil. The topsoil carried away with rainwater gets accumulate in the trenches. Trenches also help maintain soil moisture.

•

Gabion Structures: It is a structure where rocks are enclosed within a wire mesh. It slows down the flow of water, which results in its decrease in its eroding power. It mainly prevents horizontal erosion.

•

Terracing: In the areas where the slope is very steep, the structures like benches are created. This is called terracing. It helps in checking soil erosion. It can also be used for plantation.

•

Vegetative barriers: These are created to stop soil erosion.

•

Plantation of Fruit plants, fodder plants and grass: Plantation Checks soil erosion and maintain moisture in the soil. Roots of the trees and grasses keep the soil bound together. It also provides shelter, fuel, fodder, and timber and keeps the environment clean.

2. Water Harvesting: The region receives enough rainfall but water flows away. Hence the available water has to be managed judiciously. The structures need to be constructed are: •

Farm Ponds: It is a simple structure to store water, which is used for irrigation.

28

•

Irrigation Tanks: For irrigational uses water is mostly stored in masonry tanks. These are leak proofs and water can be stored for longer duration and can be utilized as per requirements.

•

Filter Chambers: Water coming out of bathrooms and kitchens are made to flow through these chambers and after filtration it is stored in tanks. This is then used for irrigation. This is possible in the areas where the houses are situated at more heights than agricultural lands.

•

Ferro cement Tanks: It is made up of woven wire mesh, MS bars, GI wires, cement and sand. A filtering device is fitted at the top to remove sand, clay, leaves etc. It is ideal to collect rainwater from roof top. Collected rainwater is pure and potable. It will solve the drinking water problems of the area to a greater extent.

•

Cattle Pots (khurlis): This is meant for catering the water need of the livestock.

3. Sanitation: The following structures needs to be constructed to facilitate proper sanitation in the area to prevent potential threats of the diseases: •

Low cost latrines: This is to inculcate the habit of not defecate in the open. This will also save time of the people, as they will not have to travel a long distance for defecating. At the same time it can help decrease the case of snakebite at nights while going for the defecation.

•

Smokeless chulhas: These are fuel-efficient and require less fuel wood than those traditional chulahs. Less smoke will benefit women, as they would not inhale smoke and contract respiratory and eye diseases.

•

Bio gas plant: Animal dung and human excreta can be used to produce biogas. It can be used for cooking and power generation. The slurry coming out of the plant is a very rich organic fertilizer, which can be used in the fields.

29

•

Soak pit: Stagnant water is a major source of breeding of mosquitoes, which causes diseases like malaria and filariasis. The water of kitchen and bathrooms will be diverted towards the soak pit, which is pit filed with different sizes of stones which allows the water to seep into the ground.

•

NADEP compost pit: It is used to make organic fertilizer from the decomposition of the biomass and dung. The use of organic fertilizer will be encouraged, as it will help reduce the harmful effects of chemical fertilizers on the human health as well as on the agricultural lands. The use of these also reduces the diseases in plants hence less of pesticides will be needed.

•

Animal carcass decomposition pit: Generally the dead animals are thrown in open and they decompose through natural process. It gives to foul smell, which is potential source of diseases. Hence a pit will be made that will have an opening to put the dead animals inside to decompose. After months when the pit will be filled it can be opened and the bones thus collected can be sold. Therefore it will serve two purposes keeping the environment clean and additional income generation.

4. Income generation Activities: These will include the promotion of floriculture and cultivation of medicinal plants. There is a good market in Delhi and Chandigarh for the flowers. Same is the case for medicinal plants. Furthermore medicinal plants will be helpful in treatment of the diseases through traditional means. Seed bank should be established in the area, which will provide good quality seeds to the farmers. A green house should also be set up for preparing better plants of flowers. 5. Awareness Generation, Training and Capacity Building: It is said that prevention is better than cure. Awareness generation is a must for prevention of diseases. Selfhelp groups will be formed in the villages and the group will select a person from among themselves who will be trained as health worker. He / she will create awareness among the people. Although it will be mainly a preventive measure the health worker will also be trained in first aid so that the people can be helped during

30

crisis as the PHC in the area is at least six kilometers away. Health camps will be organized where people will be exposed to different preventive mechanisms. Every year after the evaluation of the performance of the village regarding sanitation and hygiene the best practices will be awarded and same kind of award will be given to health workers on the basis of their efforts and performances. These steps will positively reinforce the efforts of the community and the worker. It will start a health competition among them to outperform each other and in the process the community as a whole will be the beneficiary. A village health committee will be formed in each village, which will take care of the maintenance of the structures created. The committee will decide the user charges for the irrigation water from the tanks. This fund will be used for repair and maintenance of the structures. There will be a president, a secretary and a cashier for the committee. The posts will be rotated for the all the members barring cashier. This will ensure the democratic process and will check against the domination of any particular person. CONCLUSION: As Leonardo Da Vinchi has said that water is the driver of life, this area is a case in point. Here everything is hinging around water and hence the proper water management holds the key for the development of the area. Proper water management will provide safe drinking water, will increase the irrigation facilities, will check the soil erosion, and will increase the water table. These will help in increasing the agricultural production. Diseases associated with water will also be reduced once the awareness level of the people increased. Increased income and better awareness will certainly uplift the health status of the people in the area.

31

Table: 11 Budget Sl.

Activity

No. 1

Check dam

Total

Unit

no.

cost

Activities per year I II III

6

1,54,00

2

6 12

0 90000 30000

2 4

I

Budget per year II III

Total

Contribution Need from

from

2

3,08,00

3,38,80

3,72,68

10,19,48

beneficiaries agency 1,01,948 9,17,532

2 4

2 4

0 180000 120000

0 198000 132000

0 217800 145200

0 595800 397200

59580 39720

536220 357480

2

2 3

Earthendam Percolation

4

tank Gullyplugging 900

225

300

300

300

67500

74250

81675

223425

22343

201082

5 6 7 8

Trenching Terracing Gabion Vegetative

83 12 630 20

300 1000 100 1000

300 1000 100 1000

300 1000 100 1000

24900 12,000 63,000 20,000

27390 13,200 69,300 22,000

30129 14,520 76,230 24,200

82419 39,720 2,08,530 66,200

8242 3,972 20,853 6,620

77177 35,748 1,87,677 59,580

9

barrier Plantation of 45000

10

1500

1500

15000

1,50,00

1,65,00

1,81,50

4,96,500

49,650

4,46,850

10

fuel / fodder Grassroot

1

0 1000

0 1000

10,00

0 10,000

0 11,000

0 12,100

33,100

3,310

29,790

0

0

0 31,62,37

3,16,238

28,46,136

plantation

900 3000 300 3000

0 30000

Total

4 Table: 12 Budget

32

Sl.

Activity

No. 1

Farm pond

Total

Unit

no.

cost

9

90,000

Activities per year I II III 3

3

Budget per year I II

Total III

Contribution

Need

from

from agency 8,04,330

3

2,70,00

2,97,00

3,26,70

8,93,700

beneficiaries 89,370

0 2,50,80

0 2,75,88

7,54,680

75,468

6,79,212

2

Storage tank 12

57,000

4

4

4

0 2,28,00

3

Ferrocement 30

7,500

10

10

10

0 75,000

0 82,500

0 90,750

2,48,250

24,825

2,23,425

4 5 6

tank Channel Pipe 1.5” Filter

600m 6000m 21

180 30 1500

200 2000 7

200 2000 7

200 2000 7

36,000 60,000 10,500

39,600 66,000 11,550

43,560 72,600 12,705

1,19,160 1,98,600 34,755

11,916 19,860 3,476

1,07,244 1,78,740 31,279

7 8

chamber Cattle pot 15 Lying of 6000m

3,000 10

5 2000

5 2000

5 2000

15,000 20,000

16,500 22,000

18,150 24,200

49,650 66,200

4,965 6,620

44,685 59,580

250

90

80

80

22,500

22,000

24,200

68,700 24,33,69

17,175 2,53,675

51,525 21,80,020

pipe 9 Sprinkler Total

250

5

Table: 13 Budget

33

Sl

Activity

no.

Total

Unit

no.

cost

cost 75

Budget per year I II

Total III

Contribution Need from

from

25

2,00,00

2,20,00

2,42,00

6,62,000

beneficiaries agency 1,65,625 4,96,875

25

25

0 37,500

0 41,250

0 45,375

1,24,125

31,032

93,093

5 10 5 5

5 10 5 5

5 10 5 5

75,000 15,000 15,000 15,000

82,500 16,500 16,500 16,500

90,750 18,150 18,150 18,150

2,48,250 49,650 49,650 49,650

62,063 12,413 12,413 12,413

1,86,187 37,237 37,237 37,237

1

1

1

60,000

66,000

72,600

1,98,600

19,860

1,78,740

13,82,42

3,15,819

10,66,606

1

Low

2

latrine Smokeless

75

1,500

25

3 4 5 6

Chulha Biogas plant Soak pit NADEP pit Vermiculture

15 30 15 15

15,000 1,500 3,000 3,000

7

units Animal

3

60,000

carcass

8,000

Activities per year I II III 25

25

0

decomposition pit Total

5

Table: 14 Budget

34

Sl.

Activity

No.

Total

Unit

no.

cost

500

500

75,000

III

Contribution Need from

from

2,48,25 0 50,000 70,000

5,000 7,000

45,000 63,000

36,300

99,300

9,930

89,370

16,500

18,150

49,650

4,965

44,685

5,000

5,000

15,000 5,32,20

1,500 53,220

13,500 4,78,980

2 3

development plants Seed bank 1 Green house 1

50,000 70,000

1 1

4

unit Floriculture

60

1,500

20

20

20

30,000

33,000

Medicinal

farmers 9

5,000

3

3

3

15,000 5,000

plants Fisheries

500

Total

beneficiaries agency 24,825 2,23,425

Horticulture

6 Total

15

Budget per year I II

1

5

1500

Activities per year I II III

82,500

90,750

50,000 70,000

farmers

0

Table: 15 Budget

35

Activity I

Activities per year II III

Sl. no. 1 2 3

Staff training 1 Exposure within state 2 Exposure out side the 1

2

4 5

state Floriculture training 1 Training for medicinal 1

1

6 7

plants Health camps 12 Audio visual shows 6

8

and related activities Printing materials and

12 6

Budget per year II III

I 12,500 1,00,000 1,05,000

12 6

1,00,000

Total

Need from

12,500 2,00,000 1,05,000

agency 12,500 2,00,000 1,05,000

1,44,000 36,000

1,44,000 36,000

72,000 36,000

72,000

48,000 9,000

48,000 9,000

48,000 9,000

1,44,000 27,000

1,44,000 27,000

15,000

15,000

15,000

45,000

45,000

7,13,500

7,13,500

equipments Total

Table: 16 Budget Sl. no. 1 2 3 4 5 6

Activity Project officer Civil engineer Health officer Accountant Master mason Stationary/postage

Total no.

Unit cost

1 1 1 1 1

(Salary) 9000 p m 7500 p m 5000 p m 4,000 p m 4,500 p m

Budget per year I II

III

1,08,000 90,000 60,000 48,000 54,000 15,000

1,30,680 1,08,900 72,600 58,080 65,340 15,000

36

1,18,800 99,000 66,000 52,800 59,400 15,000

Total

Need from

3,57,480 2,97,900 1,98,600 1,58,880 1,78,740 45,000

agency 3,57,480 2,97,900 1,98,600 1,58,880 1,78,740 45,000

7

Travelling

48,000

48,000

48,000

1,44,000

1,44,000

8

expense Office in the field

60,000

60,000

60,000

1,80,000

1,80,000

40,000 16,00,600

40,000 16,00,600

9 Total

area Vehicle

1

40,000

•

Ten percent increase has been assumed in the cost every year.

•

Total cost of the project comes to Rs. 98, 24, 774

37

ANNERURE 1

List of below poverty line (BPL) families in the area Village Ritab Pal Jalag Jagher Shalech Drabla Dhania Ser Kashmali Shalogni Chandol Total

General 6 1 2 0 0 1 10

SC 5 9 7 0 3 5 29

38

ANNEXURE 2

Percentage of others and SC population in the villages

21.2 80 78.8

100

76.2 35.1

Dhania Ser

Shalech Drabla

20 Jalag Jagher

64.1

39

Chandol

59.6

23.8

Kashmali Shalogni

40.4

Ritab Pal

120 100 80 60 40 20 0

SC Others

REFERENCES

1. RUCHI annual reports 2. Gazette of Himachal Pradesh

40