From Dipak Roy, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), New Delhi
Posted 13 April 2009
I work as the Hygiene Specialist with the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), New Delhi, with a specific focus on Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools.
I have seen and read about different options for rainwater harvesting and wise water management (broadly referring to re-use of grey water and recycling of waste water in general) in schools in different states. Most of them have been supported by multi-lateral, bilateral and NGO-funded projects. The harvested rainwater is also used for different purposes – drinking after basic treatment, gardening, flushing toilets and washing, etc., depending on how the water is harvested and stored. These uses also vary depending on whether the school is residential or for day scholars.
I am requesting state-specific experiences from members of the Water Community on the following points:
- Please give experiences that demonstrate the extent to which these options recognized and included in the various state government budgets for rural water supply, education, and tribal welfare departments?
- What is the scale at which initiatives such as rainwater harvesting and grey water re-use have been applied in schools in different states?
- Please give experiences of how the harvested rainwater or re-recycled water is used in schools?
I will use this information to prepare a status paper and package it as an advocacy document, which can inform the process of mainstreaming rainwater harvesting and wise water management in schools within national programmes.
Please see attachment below for the responses.