India

India

Country statistics Population: 1100 mio. People without access to improved drinking water: 121 mio. Mortality among children below 5y: 7.2% Source: United Nations Statistics Division Project Project start 2002 Promotion through Self Help Groups, NGOs, Universities 275’000 users

We support projects for the dissemination of the SODIS method in three parts of India: Tamil Nadu, North East India, and Delhi.

A daunting number of 121 million people in India lack access to safe drinking water. Drinking water for inhabitants of slum areas is often delivered by trucks, and stored in large communal tanks. The water in these tanks is often highly polluted with pathogens. Different systems for household water treatment and safe storage are available in India, for example devices combining filtration and chlorination. These systems are mostly unaffordable, however, for poor segments of the population. The SODIS method is an effective alternative, which - if promoted at large scale - could reduce drastically the consumption of contaminated water in India.

Tamil Nadu

The SODIS project in Tamil Nadu started in 2002 as one of the first SODIS pilot projects in Asia. The local partner organization LEAD (League for Education and Development) started promoting the SODIS method through a network of self help groups in rural districts around Tiruchirappalli. Members of the women’s groups receive training in the application of the SODIS method. Federations of self help groups employ SODIS promoters and support the collection and re-sale of bottles to the users. In order to operate this promotion system in a sustainable manner (i.e. without external support), the SODIS promoters generate additional income from the sale of soap and the construction of latrines.

In 2005, we expanded the promotion of the SODIS method to urban areas in slums of Chennai, the capital city of Tamil Nadu state. Local NGO partners take the responsibility for the promotion at household level. Recently, LEAD intensified the collaboration with governmental agencies in charge of health and slum development. In the coming year, LEAD will train staff of these agencies at different levels. In addition, we conducted a study in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology, which confirmed the absence of health risks from re-using PET bottles for the SODIS method.

To date, the project in Tamil Nadu has already reached 100’000 families, and about half of them have started using the SODIS method for drinking water treatment.

North East India

In 2003, we started the dissemination of the SODIS method in North East India in collaboration with the Assam University in Silchar. Through this channel, 60’000 households received training and information on issues of safe water consumption, hygiene and health.

Since 2008, the Women's Studies Research Centre (WSRC) in West Bengal has been successfully promoting the dissemination of SODIS. The promotional activities currently focus on four rural and urban areas. WSRC has recently signed an agreement with the Ministry of Health of West Bengal for an even closer collaboration.

From this collaboration we expect a quick transfer of knowledge on SODIS and other methods of water treatment at household level in West Bengal and throughout Northeast India.

Delhi

A new project started in August 2009 in New Delhi. The project aims to make the SODIS method known in another part of India, and to demonstrate and communicate its benefits for users in slum areas of the capital city.

Our project partner in Delhi, Development Alternatives, will train 10’000 families in 20 Slums of Delhi. Advocacy and networking play an important role in this project from the beginning. The development and commercialization of specific SODIS products (e.g. special SODIS containers, cheap UV sensors), the project also aims to stimulate the private sector to take a more substantial role in the dissemination of the SODIS method.

Local partner organisation

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