"Sustainable Water Quality & Resource Management in Arsenic & Other Heavy Metals Contaminated Region Through Community Participation" - PP Presentation is made with animation which is more perceptible. Anyone requiring more data may please contact dipankar.adhya@gmail.com

1. Sustainable Water QualitySustainable Water Quality
& Resource Management& Resource Management
In Arsenic & Other Heavy MetalsIn Arsenic & Other Heavy Metals
Contaminated RegionsContaminated Regions
Through Community ParticipationThrough Community Participation
BY
Dr. Dipankar Adhya
General Secretary – SAFE Water Of The People
Presented At
51st
Annual Convention
of
Indian Water Works Association

2. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

3. Fluoride contamination in drinking water is a
public health problem in many areas around
the world.
In addition to fluoride-affected Indian states
like Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and Andhra
Pradesh the specified regions of Birbhum
and Purulia districts of West Bengal have
already been declared to be fluoride-polluted
by the Public Health Engineering
Department.
Fluoride is known to cause diseases like
dental fluorosis, Alzheimer’s disease,
dementia, skeletal fluorosis, abnormal
thyroid function and other hormonal
disturbances.
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

4. Arsenic Contamination of Groundwater
in which more than 137 million people
worldwide are at risk of various medical
disorder including cancer may be
termed as the Greatest Environmental
Disaster in Twentieth Century
The countries affected are Bangladesh,
India , Vietnam ,Inner Mongolia, China,
Eastern Europe, Western USA , Mexico ,
Chile, Argentina & covering new areas
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

5. Arsenic affected stretches in Ganga Plains in India with reference to
The Ganga-Meghna-Brahmaputra Plains.
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

6. 111 blocks in 12 districts have beyond permissible
limit of .05mg/l
Eastern side of Bhagirathi River in the districts of
Malda, Murshidabad, Nadia, North 24 Parganas
and South 24 Parganas. And western side of the
districts of Howrah, Hugli and Bardhman are
mostly affected with arsenic contamination.
Long term effects of Arsenic Poisoning :
Increased risk of cancer of lung, bladder, kidney,
liver. Severe damage to Nervous System and the
skin.
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

7. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

8. Arsenic Level in Drinking
Water in ppb
Approx Total Cancer Risk
(Assuming 2 liters
consumed/day)
Arsenic Level in Drinking
Water in ppb
Approx Total Cancer Risk
(assuming 2 liters
consumed/ day)
1 ppb 1 in 5,000 10 ppb 3 in 1000
3 ppb 1 in 1000 20 ppb 7 in 1000
5 Ppb 1 .5 in 1000 50 ppb 18 in 1000
Note: In many places in West Bengal & Assam the Arsenic contamination level is as high as 200 to 600 ppb200 to 600 ppb
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

9. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

10. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

11. 1. Target Area : Considering more than 90% ground water usage
in Agriculture & Livestock and nearly 69% of population lives
in rural area , Target = Rural India
2. Approach Towards Safe Drinking Water : INDUCE Awareness
towards water quality, optimum use & conservation of water.
Selection of Purification Process based on Source, TDS ( Total
Dissolved Solids ) & type of Contaminations
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

12. 1. Can cater even remotest rural population where piped water supply will be of high capital
& maintenance cost.
2. Bare minimum system loss
3. Supply of value added safe drinking water at a minimum cost induces sense of thriftiness
and optimum use of water in daily life.
4. Being rural area as primary coverage where 69% of Indian population resides and use more
than 90% ground water extracted – A little more rationality in water use will have great
impact .
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

13. 1. On identification of project site, awareness camps involving local population/ beneficiaries
especially women should be organized.
2. Selection of Technology Should be simple for O & M. with back up service from suppliers.
3. Project should add value to generate willingness to pay for the water.
4. Generate income / financial incentives for O & M group.
5. Generate Direct & indirect employment to the local youth.
6. Design of the System & project should develop a sense of confidence of the users & better rural
water management.
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

14. 7. Treatment of arsenic rich sludge, if any, should be complied with and disposed off suitably.
8. Integrated Rain Water harvesting & Ground water recharge to develop a sense of appreciating
water as valuable & scarce commodity.
9. Create necessary awareness to the rural population to adopt better practices of agricultural
water management.
10. With reduction in water extraction for agriculture, construction of check dams and ground
water recharge the magnitude of arsenic contamination will decline in each zone with
implementation of such decentralised safe drinking water projects.
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

15. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

16. AWARENESS CAMP PARTICIPATION & BASE LINE
SURVEY
Consent for Participation and O&M cost Sharing Base Line Survey & Need Assessment

17. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

18. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

19. Treatment Method Cost Post Treatment Consideration
Conventional
Coagulation- Flocculation
Sedimentation- Filtration
Disinfection ( Chlorination /UV)
Low
Immediate or Future Water Source Quality not
affected
Media Based
Filtration
SF- MMF- GAC
Disinfection ( Chlorination / UV)
Moderate
Critically Examine the Solid waste and Liquid
waste (backwash) disposal
Applicable for Ground Water sources alsoApplicable for Ground Water sources also
Advanced R.O.
Based
Opted only in case of Saline Water
High
Critical Examination of Recovery % to reduce high
wastage in reject. Ways & means for liquid waste
treatment / Disposal. Disposal of Solid waste.
Applicable for Ground Water sources alsoApplicable for Ground Water sources also
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

20. SUSTAINING WATER RESOURCES THROUGH
COMMUNITY BASED DECENTRALISED SAFE WATER
PROJECT
1. As far as possible adopt Media Based Purification System – Less Process
waste as only back wash water is wasted.
2. In case of R.O. fix “Recovery %” at just below maximum permissible limit
of harmful contaminants. This will ensure minimum possible reject
water.
3. Install operational and examplary “Rain Water Harvesting” and “Ground
Water Recharge” . Try to reduce gap between Extraction & Recharge
4. Utilise waste water to public sanitation to reduce fresh water use.

21. SUSTAINING WATER QUALITY THROUGH
COMMUNITY BASED DECENTRALISED SAFE WATER
PROJECT
1. In Media based Filtration – Back washed water should be disposed off to
ground water recharge or to drain only after sand bed filtration to avoid
deterioration of ground water quality.
2. In R.O. based system care should be taken not to discharge reject water
in open field or drain or stream leading to canal or river or to agricultural
field Reject water discharge in open field resulting to Arsenic or other heavy
metals leaching to aquifer and entering into food chain.
3. Reject water having high level of harmful contamination should be treated to
facilitate precipitation of arsenic etc as sludge which could be
Bioremediate suitably.
4. Solid waste generated either media based system or R.O. based system in
Arsenic affected zones should be discharged as per protocol or sent for
bioremediation. ( Presently majority of decentralised RO system
discharging reject water without any protocol or treatment )

22. Full view of the system with
Overhead tank
16 and 10 Liter Cans
being filled
Van for Distribution
and Doorstep delivery
of Safe Drinking
Water
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

23. Partial view of water
works
Partial view of water
works
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

24. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

25. COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION TO ENSURE SOCIAL
COMMITMENTS IN SAFE WATER DECENTRALISED
PROJECTS
1. Community Participatory projects comply social commitments unlike
individual entrepreneurship which tends towards Profit Maximization.
2. To ensure compliance towards laid down O&M norms , the followings should
be steps should be maintained :-
a) Awareness Camps & Consent for participation
b) Need Assessment Survey
c) Formation of Water Committee with participation from Panchayet ,
d) Installation of Projects
e) Operation & Maintenance (O&M) group and their training.
f) Quality Control team and their training.
g) Administration, Marketing/ distribution and Accounts.

26. Ground Water Recharge Bore
Ground Water Recharge Distributor
Rain Water Harvesting
Dr. Dipankar Adhya
4th
International Conference on
Environment and Ecology

27. Dr. Dipankar Adhya
4th
International Conference on
Environment and Ecology
Increased efficiency in toilet utilization Reduction in Water Loss

28. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

29. Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association

30. FINANCIAL : Cost of Project ` 6 to 7 Lakhs.
Capacity – 4,000 litres/day in single shift operation.
Sales /day @50 paise per litre ` 2,000
Pro rata O & M cost per day ` 550
Monthly Surplus or incentive ` 43,500
Yearly Surplus/ incentive ` 522,000
SOCIAL : Each project will generate employment direct & indirect employment
up to 5 persons
MEDICAL : Each project will save more than 1000 potential victims of arsenic poisoning from
becoming physically, financially & Socially disabled due to
cancer and related diseases.
Dr. Dipankar Adhya 51st
Annual Convention Of Indian Water Works Association