Water logging and poor liquid waste management were issues that inhabitants of Punhana, Nuh, Haryana, had been facing for a long time. The villagers lacked awareness on the importance of good sanitation and waste management practices. As a result, diseases like diarrhea, dysentery, malaria, dengue, and others were common features affecting the health of the villagers throughout the year.
Fakruddin had constant waterlogging in and around his house due to lack of proper liquid waste management system. He did not have any outlet system or drain to dispose the household’s wastewater, and the wastewater remained stranded in the passage of his house. He attended a number of sanitation-awareness sessions conducted in his village under a CSR project implemented by S M Sehgal Foundation, since April 2019. One of the project’s objectives is to motivate the villagers to maintain good hygiene and sanitation practices in daily lives. From these sessions, Fakruddin learned about steps to maintain good personal hygiene, and also understood the importance of creating cleaner surroundings for a healthy and disease-free life. The sessions inspired him to install a low cost underground pipeline system from his home to his agricultural land for the disposal of wastewater.
Fakruddin happily says, “Earlier my family was facing great inconvenience due to mosquitoes, odor, and diarrhea, and lived in unhygienic conditions because of stagnant wastewater in and around my home. Awareness sessions organized as a part of the project changed my outlook toward sanitation and waste management practices.” His family now has fewer incidences of diseases, and a considerable amount of money is saved in medical expenses.
Authors: Akshay Gilbert and Debika Goswami
(Akshay is project associate and Debika is senior program lead, Local participation and Sustainability with S M Sehgal Foundation)
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