IDM 2004: Some Success Stories

India Development Marketplace 2004: Improving Access and Quality of Rural Services

 

The following stories offer a glimpse of the award winning proposals in IDM-2004. The theme was ‘Improving Rural Services’, which included providing for better access and quality in rural water supply and sanitation, health, education, roads, finance and electricity.

 

Dew Harvesting for Drinking Water in Parched Coastal  Gujarat

 

The Indian Institute of Management in Ahmedabad has successfully developed a roofing system that harvests dew for drinking water in the parched villages of Kutch District in coastal  Gujarat.

 

The prototype is cost effective, easy to install, and involves no maintenance.

 

A 300 sq.m. dew harvester can meet the drinking water needs of a five-member family by generating 20 litres of water a day at a cost of Rs.30,000.

 

In addition to supplying households with better quality drinking water, the dew harvester also improves the overall wellbeing of families as it gives women and children more spare time - they currently walk long distances to fetch water - and releaves many of their health complaints that arise from carrying heavy water pots over long distances.

 

Dew condensers have now been successfully installed in a school, a warehouse and a few private homes in the area.

 

The project is sustainable and replicable in all the coastal parts of India which suffer from an acute shortage of drinking water.

 

Controlling the Incidence of Malaria in Orissa Using Larvivorous Fish

 

Orissa has the highest incidence of malaria in the country, accounting for about 45 to 50 per cent of deaths due to the disease.

 

The NGO Sadhana in Gopapur village, Badamba block (an admministrative area) in Orissa has demonstrated that the spread of malaria in the rural areas can be prevented by the introduction of larvivorous fish varieties such as Guppy and Gambusia.

 

Demonstration tanks have been built in 30 locations with the involvement of panchayat functionaries, health workers, local opinion makers and other NGOs. Local ward members and school teachers take care of the maintenance of these tanks.

 

The project has also given the fish free of charge to the community to rear in wells or water bodies in their backyards. Since these two varieties of fish breed in large numbers, there is lilttle likelihood of communities running out of fish stocks.

 

Health department data show that there has been a steep fall in the number of malaria cases reported from this block.

 

Assam’s River Network Harnessed to Ferry Medical Teams by Boat to isolated regions

The Brahmaputra, a river whose floods have long spelt destruction in Assam, has been converted into an asset for the people of the region.   

 

The Centre for North Eastern Studies and Policy Research has developed a boat named ‘Akha’ to bring health care to the people in isolated regions. Although the boat was originally conceived as a ‘Ship of Hope’ to be brought into use during floods in the area, it is now being used throughout the year to provide health care to people living on the islands of Dibrugarh District in Assam.

 

The boat is a prototype for a fleet of boats that will deliver health care throughout the year to people people in the region, in addition to its use in times of flood.

 

The project has received good support from the district administration, which has now become a major partner. Private practitioners and government doctors have used the boat for setting up health camps and immunization programmes.

 

A second boat is being built for Tinsukia and Dhemaji districts with private partnerships involving ONGC, Oil India Ltd., the Indian Oil Corporation, and Jalan Industries Ltd.

 

 

Biomass-based Fuel for Rural Electrification in Chattisgarh

 

The project provided electricity from locally generated biomass to an isolated and remote village in Chattisgarh where most houses used kerosene lamps or car batteries for light.

 

The project generated electricity through a community-managed, 20kw biomass gasifier power plant that draws its biomass from resources generated by the community through social forestry. 

 

Plants have been installed in Jemara, Newhrapara and Darrahpara villages of Chattisgarh. In all three hamlets, the laying of transmission cables has been done by the Tata Energy Resource Institute (TERI).

 

The social forestry activity has begun on a 5 acre plot where saplings have been planted.