Better WASH for Healthy Nepal

We all believe that, quality of drinking water is a matter of serious concern. It is also one of the key factors contributing to high mortality of children and high medication cost to prevent infectious disease in adults. As a result of use of contaminated drinking water, frequent outbreak of water born diseases is heard in news published through various media. The people of slum areas and brick kilns are the most vulnerable and affected group due to the use of unsafe and contaminated water. Inadequate access to safe water and sanitation, poor structural quality of housing and overcrowding makes the condition even worse. As a result, they are forced to heavily rely on turbid, contaminated and unsafe groundwater source – accessed through digging wells and accessing water through tubewell. This practice is creating high risk in the health condition of the people in the slum and brick kilns. The result of a water testing organized in these areas indicated the presence of bacterial contamination of fecal coliform.

Analyzing the condition, ECCA initiated to promote ceramic filter also known as Tulip Filters in these areas. The tulip water filter is designed as a point-of-use filter in households which is impregnated with silver in order to increase the bacterial removal efficiency and to reduce the recontamination risk of stored filtered water. These filters are economic in use with simple techniques and high turbidity removal capacity.

In the month of Feb and March, ECCA distributed Tulip filter in 25 household of Slum areas and 40 Household of Brick Kilns in Kathmandu Valley. Approx 300 people living in these houses are directly benefited through the distribution and use of filters. Through your support, the proper use of these filters by the households, ensures safe health of members in the family and improve the daily living condition of urban poor in Nepal.

We would like to thank you for your continuous support and believing and supporting us in our campaign. Because of YOU, we have been able to bring changes in the life of needy people in Nepal. Furthermore, we would like to request you all to share the information of our project and request your friends and families to donate on 12th June 13 (Wednesday). This particular day is very important for us because, GlobalGiving has announced this day as GG Bonus Day. Hence, of the total donation received in all the projects from 9:00 AM on this day, 40% of additional amount will be matched by GG until it’s US $90,000 budget is completed. Hence, your support through spreading out the message of bonus day will help us achieve our target very soon through securing additional funds.

We hope for the same type of support in the days to come ahead. Please like our Facebook page to get updates regarding our activities and follow us on Twitter to get our tweets. We are also looking forward towards your valuable suggestions and comments regarding our works as well.

Angel Chitrakar

www.ecca.org.np

Facebook / Twitter

ECCA has been organizing different environmental and educational program in different schools of Nepal since its establishment in 1987. Among them, Lalit Kalyan Lower Secondary School of Bholdhoka, Lalitpur, Nepal has set an example of a model school in the community. After implementing ECCA’s Safe Drinking Water Campaign, the school has been declared as “Safe Drinking Water” zone. But few years back, it was not like that.

The issue of water and sanitation in school is one of the most important aspects. In Nepal 6.5 million people still do not have access to drinking water and more than 10,500 children die each year due to preventable water and sanitation related diseases. Every year, a large number of school children fall prey to water-borne diseases like diarrhoea and gastroenteritis. Unclean water leads to more deaths each year than war, and causes 80 percent of the world’s diseases. Almost all schools in Nepal receive their drinking water from nearby public water supply system or their own on-site well.

In Lalit kalyan Lower Secondary School there was severe scarcity of water. Hence ECCA supported the school for the construction of well to solve water crisis in the school. But the well water was very turbid and contaminated which was not suitable for drinking purpose. To make well water drinkable, bio sand filtration and chlorination facility was added in the school.

Nowadays a group of nature club students are producing chlorine in the school and are using it to disinfect drinking water. Water Quality Test of the school is done every six months and it was found that all the physical, chemical and biological parameters are within Nepal Standard. 17 staffs and 200 students get benefit from Safe Drinking Water Campaign in this school. Besides that they are also promoting safe drinking water in their community.

Mr. Ramesh Shrestha, principal of the school has stated that there is decrease of absentees in school due to the sickness related to water borne diseases. He also reported on improved knowledge on safe drinking water among students.

ECCA has been successful to some extent in improving hygienic environment of school by providing safe drinking water and creating awareness on use of safe drinking water for better livelihood.

Thank you all for your continued support and valuable contribution. We look forward towards receiving your feedback and suggestion.

Regards

Angel Chitrakar

Sr. Program Officer

angel@ecca.org.np