Written By Bhushan Tuladhar
BORDA Partner - Environment and Public Health Organisation (ENPHO), Nepal
The Park Village Waterfront Resort, which is a three-star 58-room hotel under construction on the banks of Lake Phewa in Pokhara, has agreed to put a Decentralised Wastewater Treatment System (DEWATS) to treat and recycle all its wastewater. A team from ENPHO and UN-HABITAT visited the hotel site in Pokhara on 9th and 10th July 2010 and held discussions with the promoters – Mr. Karna Shakya and Mr. Diwakar Rajkarnikar – as well as the architect to assess the feasibility of the system. The preliminary designs for the system, which includes separate treatment systems for black water, grey water and rain water, was presented to the clients at a meeting on 16th July 2010 and approved. ENPHO will now prepare detail designs with technical support from CDD/BORDA and construct the plant in late 2010. The eco-friendly hotel, which will also have solar lighting system and biogas plant to treat waste, is scheduled to open its door to visitors on the occasion of Nepal Tourism Year 2011.
(Pic: Site for DEWATS at the Waterfront Resort, Pokhara)
A two day exhibition on “Siruthuli Peruvellam-Andrum Indrum” (meaning Small Drops Make an Ocean) was organised by Siruthuli from 17th – 18th July 2010 at Coimbatore. Siruthuli is an NGO working for the conservation of water and preservation of water bodies. The staff of CDD Regional Cooperation Office in Chennai participated in the exhibition. The exhibition was inaugurated by Hon’ble Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Former President of India. Mr. Pongalur N Palaniswamy, Hon’ble Minister for Rural Industries, Government of Tamilnadu was also present at the occasion. 
In the progress of project “Youth for Water”, VVF created a special programme to provide awareness and create interest in youth on carrying out assessment of water resources in watersheds using GPS. For the first time, GPS tools which are hand-held and look like a mobile phone were used to map and audit water. During the course of the programme, community persons and youth were explained in detail the importance of water resources, however small. A few water sheds were identified in a larger area where detailed instructions were given using GPS mapping and audit kit. 
To ensure access to toilets and drinking water and thus reach the MDG goals, the right to sanitation and water should be made a fundamental constitutional right of every citizen. This was the major recommendation of the National Conference on Cost-Effective Sustainable Sanitation, an Indian Experience organised from 28th June – 1st July 2010 in New Delhi by WASH Institute and the Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation of the Government of India. Over 100 papers were presented at the Conference which was inaugurated by Mrs. Sheila Dixit, Chief Minister of New Delhi. In her address, the Chief Minister stressed the need for decentralised and participatory programmes to tackle liquid and solid waste management challenges which were defying easy solutions despite very many well-thought out programmes during the past two decades.
In the context of increasing urbanisation, which has adversely impacted the limited sanitation facilities that exist in India, the need has been felt for long-term planning wherein local bodies will incorporate provision and management of sanitation facilities and services. The inclusion of DEWATS in policies and by-laws would enable Government to provide sanitation solutions on a broader scale reaching out to marginalised groups. This calls for up-scaling of basic needs services. Against this backdrop a one-day District-level Seminar on ‘Decentralised Approach to Wastewater Treatment’ was conducted on 16th July 2010 in the Town Hall, Corporation, Mandya, to address these issues with a holistic perspective. The objectives were to disseminate information on DEWATS and the National Urban Sanitation Policy and thereby motivate Government Departments to include DEWATS in ULB by-laws and schemes.
VVF conducted an Eco-water literacy campaign on the theme of “Youth for Water”. In this process of creating awareness among youth of different age groups, VVF has evolved a network of institutions dealing with different facets of water in the National Capital Region of Delhi. From among these ,12 have been selected for conducting Eco-Water Trails (walks). At each of the selected sites, various key elements were identified for conducting “Water Trails”. The lead volunteers and teachers evinced keen interest in taking the messages to youth and then to the communities they are associated with. 
“Decentralisation” of Basic Needs Services is seen as a complementary tool to tackle the sanitation crisis of exploding cities today. The locations or areas which remain un-accessed by the ULBs, such as urban pockets, peri-urban areas and slums may be served with decentralised solutions for its quicker and more simplified solutions as well as easier operation and maintenance. BORDA has been promoting such a decentralised approach for better management of cities and towns mainly with respect to urban Decentralised Basic Needs Services (DBNS). CDD and BORDA have developed models for slums, institutions, hospitals, hotels and townships through Decentralised Wastewater Treatment and Decentralised Solid Waste Management. Such models with modifications and alterations can be made applicable to many more cities and towns in India. The National Urban Sanitation Policy - NUSP also underlines the objectives of 100% sanitized cities and BORDA’s vision is aligned to this common goal of meeting sanitation targets. 
CDD Society is pleased to announce its next training on ‘Towards Sustainable Community Based Sanitation’. The five day training will be conducted in Bangalore from 23rd – 27th August 2010. 