HIMOTHAN SBMA FIRST QUARTER REPORT

 

INTROUCTION

The SBMA staff started its planning phase activities after the finalization of the list of villages awarded, in the month of Oct 07.DLCC meetings were got convened and clearance taken for the six villages of Uttarkashi and four villages of Tehri District (a total of ten villages of Himmothan SBMA).Regular discharge measurement was carried out. Villagers were apprised about the Himmothan project by the field staff regularly. However certain activities could only be taken up on receipt of funds which could be received in the month of December07.Thus the first QPR is being presented for Oct07 to Jan 08.

ABOUT THE PROJECT

The Himmothan project strives to clear the hurdles in the process of rural development, by increasing the awareness at the village level. The state of Uttarakhand, even after the efforts of several years has remained largely indifferent to the developmental activities. The rural Garhwal has largely remained enmeshed in ignorance and other established dogmas. Recent results have been heartening as the inhabitants of rural Uttarakhand have started coming forward and joining the mainstream of development. The project is a big booster for all efforts in the field of rural development.

STANDING PROBLEMS IN RURAL UTTARAKHAND

1.           Huge burden on women to manage the household, agriculture and other affairs.

2.           Depleting soil fertility.

3.           Water resources are under threat due to rapid de-forestation.

4.           Below par quality of drinking water.

5.           Low level of awareness towards issue of health and hygiene.

6.           Wastage of time and energy in non-productive uses.

7.           Migration of able human resource to cities.

8.           Growing drug abuse.

9.           Increasing pressure on land due to rapid fragmentation of land holding.

10.       Low returns on agriculture produce.

After the failure to realize the aims of comprehensive and uniform development with the various agencies, the concept of development through the participation of community has been in the reckoning. NGO’S have made their presence felt in the development sector. Their capacity of working at grass root level and creating awareness has made them complimentary in the approaches towards rural development. To deal with these issues for a tangible solution, in December 2001, the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) launched an initiative ‘Himmothan Pariyojana’ earlier known as ‘Resolving the Himalayan Dilemma’. In this regard the GoUA and SRTT signed a MOU on 5th May – 2004. To facilitate the initiative DLCC (District Level Co-ordination Committee) and SLSC (State Level Steering Committee), Committees have been formed under the Chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, of GoUA.

In the present project with Shri Bhuvneshwari Mahila Ashram as a Support Agency is involved in the domain of Improving Community Health through Drinking Water & Environmental Sanitation sector of the “HIMMOTHAN PARIYOJANA”.

This work involves the Planning and implementation of Water Supply & Sanitation projects with a focus on hygiene; to be implemented through village based water & sanitation committee known as Management Societies (registered under Societies Registration Act 1860).The MS shall plan, design, implement and manage their own schemes. SBMA shall facilitate the work according to the guidelines as laid in the Himmothan Project.

SBMA AND THE HIMMOTHAN PROJECT 

SBMA has been selected by SRTT for Himmothan Project in phase-2 Project. Pre-feasibility exercise was carried out in 20 villages, out of which ten villages have been awarded. Planning Phase has started in all 10 villages, four villages of District Tehri Garhwal and six of District Uttarkashi. The has projected started in October 07.

The nine community action plan that this project will follow in the four different phases are:

Plan 1              Water Supply Scheme Plan

Plan 2              Sanitation Plan

            Plan 3              Catchment Area Protection Plan

Plan 4              Hygiene and Sanitation Awareness Plan

Plan 5              Livelihood Enhancement & Women

                        Empowerment Interventions Plan

            Plan 6              Information and Knowledge Sharing Plan

            Plan 7              Cash and Labour Contribution Plan

            Plan 8             Monitoring and Evaluation Plan

            Plan 9             Operation and Maintenance plan

OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT

1.            To provide safe drinking water to the villages.

2.            Make community open defecation free.

3.            Making community increasingly aware towards the issue of health and hygiene.

4.            To diversify the income resources of villages.

5.            Increasing dissipation of knowledge and skills in villages.

6.            Empowerment of womenfolk, through the creation of SHG’s.

7.            Protection of catchment area.

8.            To develop the decision making ability of the villagers by infusing in them a spirit of confidence.

 

ACTIVITIES CONDUCTED IN PLANNING PHASE TILL JANUARY 08

 

1        DISTRICT LEVEL CO-ORDINATION COMMITTEE MEETINGS.

As per the Memorandum of Understanding between SRTT and Govt of Uttarakhand, the district level co-ordination committee has been constituted in twin district of Uttarkashi and Tehri under the chairmanship of District Magistrate and members from all other concerned departments. DLCC meeting has been got organized in District Tehri and District Uttarkashi to take NOC from all concerned departments and agencies.

2   TRAINING OF THE STAFF.

All staff members had been recruited by the beginning of Oct07 .Preliminary concept of the project was explained. However scheduled ten days collective staff training could only be imparted at a later stage. The training was conducted at the SBMA guest house in Dehradun. Specialized faculties had been invited to impart training in their field of specialization. The residential training was carried out for ten days as project requirement.  The detailed report of the training sessions is attached with this report.

3        BASE LINE SURVEY

Base Line Survey has been completed in all the 10 villages of SBMA Himothan project till December07. This includes Population survey (age and caste wise break-up), Educational survey (age/sex wise break-up), Resource survey, and Health indicators to ascertain present status.

4        AWARENESS PROGRAMMES

Awareness which has been the core of this project has been always at the forefront of every activity conducted for this project. A two day H.E.S.A training session has been conducted in village Badera and Koti. A puppet show was organized at Village Singuni. The show was conducted by the famous artist Mr. Ram Lal. It remained as a fitting satire on the present level of awareness at the grass root level. Various SARAR tools e.g. un-serialized poster, poster drama, community mapping, women’s time use analysis, transmission of diseases, pocket chart, gender analysis, three pile sorting have been used.  The purpose of these tools was to stimulate the mind towards the ignorance that they had inherited consciously or un-consciously.

5        FORMATION OF MANAGEMENT SOCIETY

The Management Society, which is the spine of Himmothan Project, has been constituted in 7 out of 10 villages till the month of January. The details of these Societies are dually attached with this report. Most of the society’s bank account has been functionalized in the nearby Banks. The community contribution has been started in villages of Dhungi and Badera. Management Societies has been formed as per norms of Society Registration Act 1860 and Project norms. The M.S formed shall be registered under Society Act. The MS formed consist a total of 7 to 12 members with 30% women representation and 20% SC/ST representation. The formation of Management Society has been done with utmost care, as it is understood to be the spine of the whole project.

6   Public mobilization through increasing their awareness

Community mobilization and awareness towards project approach, activities have been given due importance and started with inception of project. The awareness towards issues of health and hygiene has been given utmost importance in every meeting, activity and allied affairs. These activities comprised of house-to-house discussion, cluster formation, cluster meetings, community meetings, focused group discussion, Folk media (Nukkad Natak), etc. Various SARAR tools e.g. un-serialized poster, poster drama, community mapping, women’s time use analysis, transmission of diseases, pocket chart, gender analysis, three pile sorting have been used. Objective was to identify problems, their analysis, prioritization and approaching to solution with community.

7   HESA Sessions

For the awareness towards issues of health and hygiene, a two day long health, environmental and sanitation awareness camp was organized in two villages of Badera and Koti. Main The various activities conducted in these HESA sessions were related to Personal Hygiene, Domestic Hygiene, Environmental Hygiene, Immunization, Mother & Child Health, Nutrition and Balanced Diet, Hygienic Use of Drinking Water, Water Borne Diseases, Diarrhea Management, Faecal Oral Route Transmission Diseases, Importance of Latrine, Importance of Cleanliness, Importance of Potable Water, Use of Waste to Water, First Aid. Ist Healthy Home Survey has been carried out along with the community during Jan 2008 and findings have been documented in village registers.

8  Source Measurement and NOC from Forest: -

      All water sources are being measured regularly on monthly basis and data of source measurement are kept at village wise source measurement register. Process to take clearance form Forest Department, where source is lying in the forest area has been initiated with the discussion with DFOs.

9   Collection of Community Cash Contribution: -

All village community have been informed about the tentative cost of their schemes, their 10 % share (5% in Planning Phase and 5% in first 6 months of Implementation Phase) and accordingly they have started collecting their share. Security of individual items is being also deposited. Exact amounts of collection can only be comprehended by the end of February.

10 Record Maintenance: -

      Various registers have been kept at village level to document the project activities. These includes meeting register, source measurement register, baseline survey booklet, training register, healthy home survey register, SHG registers, community contribution register, and receipt book etc.