Written by Dr. G William
BORDA Partner – RLHP

Water is the source of life to man, animals, birds, fish, and all forms of vegetation on planet Earth. But when the precious water itself is contaminated, it becomes a source of deadly diseases. Water-borne infections are the most common causes of infectious diseases in developing countries, often resulting from the lack of a protected water supply, a faulty water-supply system or improper sewage disposal.

Written by Shilpa Mirashi
BORDA Partner – IIYW

The BORDA-CDD CBS-SD Project aims to develop Health and Hygiene practices as well as Minimum Standards for Health and Hygiene awareness initiatives in order to improve the planning, implementation and monitoring of decentralised sanitation programmes. A 3-day “Training of Trainers” was organized by Partner member of CDD Society – Indian Institute of Youth Welfare, at its training campus in Lonara, Nagpur, during 10^th to 12^th March 2010.  This 3-day TOT provided a better learning experience through interactive sessions to the health workers and health animators which will benefit them in their future work. The training sessions were facilitated by experts in the field of health and hygiene education, from IIYW and from Government Offices. The training helped the participants understand the practical aspects of H & H programme implementation and the need for health and hygiene education.

Written by Ajit Seshadri
BORDA Partner – The Vigyan Vijay Foundation (VVF)

In early 2008, Defence Parade Grounds in the Delhi Cantonment areas belonging to the Signals Unit of the Army intended to make all spaces with more greens, having extended plants and foliage cover. The Army units instituted clean-up drives and campaigns to use up all bio-wastes generated on their campus for conversion to manure as a resource with guidance and consultancy support from the NGO, The Vigyan Vijay Foundation. (Pic-1: Open Urinal at Parade Ground, Signal Unit, Delhi Cantonment)

Written by Ajit Seshadri
BORDA Partner – The Vigyan Vijay Foundation (VVF)

All India Women’s Conference, AIWC, is an old world-renowned NGO based in New Delhi.  AIWC has in its campus, a hostel catering to around 200 working women, with a kitchen that prepares around 500 meals per day including breakfast, lunch and dinner. The mess and canteen generate around 60 kgs of kitchen waste a day which is fed into an in-house 2 cum bio-gas plant. There is, in addition, mess waste, campus waste of vegetables and farm-yard waste  (around   20 kgs of leaves) and other  produce from the medicinal garden amounting to about 80 kgs of bio-waste.

Written by Joe D' Souza
BORDA Partner - CDD Society

CDD Society has a new Executive Coordinator w.e.f. 1^st June 2010.Ms Renu Mukunda, 53, has over 25 years of experience in the Development Sector. Among other capabilities, she brings with her the experience of heading WSUP India (Water and Sanitation for the Urban Poor).

CDD Society, its Members and Partners look forward to a fruitful tenure ahead.

Written by Himani Bist
BORDA Partner –CDD Society

CDD society is pleased to announce the upcoming 1-day Training on "Site Supervision for Decentralised Wastewater Treatment Systems (DEWATS) Construction” on 18^th June 2010 in Villupuram district, Tamil Nadu.

Written by Himani Bist
BORDA Partner – CDD Society

Focussing on the need and importance of quality designing of DEWATS units, six-day training was organised by CDD Society at CASS training centre, Bangalore from 17^th to 22^nd May 2010. The objective of the training was to help people (engineers) having background knowledge and experience in wastewater treatment to design better, simple and effective structures for long term solutions.

Written by Er. Ajit Seshadri
BORDA Partner - The Vigyan Vijay Foundation

Decentralised Wastewater Treatment System (DEWATS) is primarily a technical approach than merely a technology package. Generically, DEWATS are locally organized and people-driven systems that typically consist of a settler, anaerobic baffled septic tank, filter bed of gravel, sand, plantation-beds and a pond (Fig. 1: Main DEWATS Components). The open pond or the polishing tank stores the remedied water making it available for re-use. The system operates without mechanical means and sewage flows by gravity through the different components of the system. Up to 1,000 cubic metres of domestic and non-toxic industrial sewage can be treated by this system (Tency Baetens, 2004). DEWATS applications are based on the principle of low-maintenance since most important parts of the system work without electrical energy inputs and cannot be switched off intentionally (BORDA).

Written by Dr. G. William
BORDA Partner – RLHP

In recent years, the importance of the role of community participation in social development has been repeatedly emphasized in national and international research studies. JNNURM has allocated, though a small portion of amount, for capacity building for community members as part of implementation of JNNURM schemes. The World Bank funded projects give increasing importance to the participatory role of people in water and sanitation projects. The close link between the health and productive life of the people and the protected environment and sanitation facilities has been proven beyond doubts.

Written by Pranai Thapa
BORDA Partner – LEDeG

Udmaroo village, located in the Nubra block of the Leh district is situated 35 kms from the block headquarters, Diskit. The Village has 84 households and a population of approximately 500. The villagers are mainly farmers and dependent on subsistence agriculture. The main crops grown here are wheat, mustard and vegetables such as potatoes, tomatoes and spinach. They also produce large quantity of apricots, mainly to produce oil which can then be sold for profit. Prior to 2008, the villagers depended on solar home lighting systems from a 30 kW diesel generator set for their electricity needs.