Megh Pyne Abhiyan: Drinking Water in North Bihar

DRINKING WATER ISSUES, CONCERNS AND ACTION IN NORTH BIHAR Megh Pyne Abhiyan, Bihar

The issue of drinking water in north Bihar has wide-ranging and multiple consequences with direct and indirect impact on various aspects of people life

RIVER BASIN MAP

ABOUT NORTH BIHAR • North Bihar has an area of about 5.4 million hectares • Playfield of 8 major rivers – Gandak, Burhi Gandak, Adhwara group of rivers, Bagmati, Kamla, Bhutahi Balan, Kosi and Mahananda. • 17 per cent of the total flood affected area of the country is in Bihar • 57 per cent of the total floods affected people in the country belong to Bihar. Out of which 76 per cent reside in north Bihar

• 76 per cent of the land in north Bihar is flood affected and approximately 86 per cent of people depend on agriculture for their existence • Excessive water logging – as per state government’s report, approximately 0.8 million hectares of land is waterlogged every year, 15 per cent of agricultural land is rendered useless affecting livelihood of 6 million people

• The alluvial formations constitute prolific aquifers where the tubewell can yield between 120-247 m³/hr • The main alluvial tract covers entire north Bihar and a sizeable area south of the Ganga River • The Terai soil is found in northern part of Bihar along the border of Nepal • Clay soil, sand soil and loamy soil are common in Bihar

GROUNDWATER SCENARIO IN BIHAR

• The annual replenishable groundwater resource is estimated at 29.19 Billion cubic metre (BCM). • The net annual groundwater availability is 27.42 BCM • The annual groundwater draft is calculated at 10.77 BCM with 39 per cent of groundwater development • CGWB claims there are no over exploited, critical zones and semi critical zones in the state • The Bihar Groundwater (Regulation and Control of Development and Management) Legislation was approved in 2006

DRINKING WATER CONCERNS IN BIHAR is directly proportionate to the seasonal variability

FLOODS OF 1987 • 28.2 million human lives • 23,852 villages were affected • Crops over an area of 2.51 million hectares were destroyed

FLOODS OF 2004 • 20 districts • 21 million people

FLOODS OF 2007 • 22 districts • 25 million population • 1.6 million hectares of standing crops destroyed • .73 million houses destroyed • Approximately 1000 human deaths

FLOODS OF 2008 • 18 districts • 4.8 million population • Estimated value of total damage is 21,643.61 lakh

Leading to PROBLEMS...

• Disruption of individual, family and community life • Collapse of micro-agro-economy, restricted/stunted livelihood opportunities and perpetuation of money-order economy • Continued existence on certain facilities despite its inappropriateness And the list continues…..

I. Status of drinking water sources during floods...

II. Water scenario during dry season...

Problems • Absence of safe drinking water sources resulting in a myriad of health related problems. • Groundwater contamination • Disregarded water quality issue • Forgotten practices of ensuring clean water • Forgotten practices of managing water at the community level • Centralized and uniform approach - Bihar seeks Rs 470 cr central aid to clean up groundwater (2008)

Groundwater profile – CGWB’s perspective Fluoride (>1.5 mg/l) Aurangabad, Banka, Buxar, Bhabua (Kaimur), Jamui, Munger, Nawada, Rohtas, Supaul Iron (>1.0 mg/l) Aurangabad, Begusarai, Bhojpur, Buxar, Bhabua(Kaimur), East Champaran, Gopalganj, Katihar, Khagaria, Kishanganj, Lakhiserai, Madhepura, Muzafferpur, Nawada, Rohtas, Saharsa, Samastipur, Siwan, Supaul, West Champaran Nitrate (>45 mg/l) Aurangabad, Banka, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Bhabua, Patna, Rohtas, Saran, Siwan Arsenic (>0.05 mg/l ) Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar, Darbhanga, Katihar, Khagaria, Kishanganj, Lakhiserai,Munger, Patna, Purnea, Samastipur, Saran, Vaishali

GROUNDWATER PROFILE DEVELOPED BY MEGH PYNE ABHIYAN’S PRELIMENARY WATER TESTING EXERCISE District pH Phosphorus Iron Nitrate Ammonia Fluoride Coliform Arsenic (> (Above (apl) (apl) (apl) (apl) (apl) 8.5) permissible limits) Supaul √ √ √ - √ - √ √ Saharsa √ √ √ √ √ √ √ - Khagaria √ NC √ √ √ - √ √ Madhubani √ NC √ √ √ √ √ - West √ NC √ - √ √ √ - Champaran

Panchay Water Year Total pH Hardness Iron Nitrate Ammonia Fluoride Coliform at name source tested (> (> 600 (> 1 (> 45 (> 1.5 water 8.5) mg/l) mg/l) mg/l) mg/l) sources Sarsava HP 2007 20 5 - 17 - 17 - 6 Dugwell 2007 1 1 - - - 1 - 1 River 2007 3 2 - - - 1 - 3 HP 2008 19 15 - 13 - 6 - 15 Dugwell 2008 1 1 - - - - - 1 River 2008 3 - - - - 1 - 2 Testing of water sources for Coliform contamination Sarsava HP 2007 23 - - - - - - 10 Dugwell 2007 1 - - - - - - 1 HP 2008 23 - - - - - - 15 Dugwell 2008 1 - - - - - - 1 District Water Year Total tested Arsenic source water sources (> 0.05 mg/l) Khagaria HP 2007 20 6 (Madarpur) Dugwell 2007 5 - HP 2008 20 14 Dugwell 2008 3 -

Megh Pyne Abhiyan’s belief and commitment • Exploring contextual, meaningful and innovative interventions • Structured intervention in terms of problems and plausible alternative solutions

Safe drinking water during floods

TECHNIQUE AND PROCESS

Districts Number of Number of Total number of community individual families rainwater installations benefitted harvesting system Supaul (2007) 96 86 13,505 Saharsa (2007) 72 94 14,300 Khagaria (2007) 51 1719 Approximately 1.5-1.75 lakh of human population Madhubani (2007) 94 - 6,923 West Champaran 28 685 6,808 (2007) Total 341 2584 1,91,536

Benefits • Access to safe and secure drinking water • Minimizing negative impact on health well being • Addressing gastro-intestinal problems • Developing a common platform at the village level

Safe drinking water after floods

Water literacy

Dug well revival

District Revived Repaired Total Supaul 13 2 15 Saharsa 11 2 13 Khagaria 5 2 7 Madhubani 8 9 17 West 1 3 4 Champaran Grand Total 38 18 56

Adopting traditional know how

Way forward… Profiling groundwater in flood plains of north Bihar – Typology – Developing hydro-geological-ecological arguments with regard to the present state of the groundwater – Highlighting the groundwater problems and establishing factors for its occurrence – Appropriate groundwater management practices

Megh Pyne Abhiyan: Drinking Water in North Bihar

by India Water Portal on Jun 03, 2009

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