Considering the magnitude of the problem, the Central Government has been supplementing the efforts of the State Governments through the centrally sponsored Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP) since 1972–73. The Eleventh Plan identifies the major issues that need tackling during this period as the problem of sustainability, water availability and supply, poor water quality, centralized vs. decentralized approaches and financing of O&M cost while ensuring equity in regard to gender, socially and economically weaker sections of the society, school children, socially vulnerable groups such as pregnant and lactating mothers, specially disabled senior citizens etc. In order to address the above issues, the rural water supply program and guidelines have been revised w.e.f. 1.4.2009 as the National Rural Drinking Water Program (NRDWP).
In order to ensure sanitation facilities in rural areas with the broader goal to eradicate the practice of open defecation, a comprehensive program called ‘Total Sanitation Campaign’ was launched by Government of India to cover all households with water and sanitation facilities and promote hygiene behaviour for overall improvement of health and sanitation in rural areas. The program is demand-driven and people-centered based on the principle “From low to No subsidy”. A nominal subsidy in the form of incentive is given to the rural poor households for construction of toilets. The key intervention areas have been identified as Individual Household Latrines (IHHL), School Sanitation & Hygiene Education, Community Sanitary Complex and Anganwadi Toilets.
The consequences of unsafe water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) on children can be deadly. Over 700 children under age 5 die every day of diarrheal diseases due to lack of appropriate WASH services. In areas of conflict, children are nearly 20 times more likely to die from diarrheal disease than from the conflict itself.
RSUP Trust works on the WaSH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) initiative that has been taken by various countries in order to provide safe drinking water, proper public sanitation facilities and a hygienic environment and livelihood to its people. This is a World Health Organization (WHO) initiative considering the health and hygiene of people across the world. Our intervention in providing clean water to the community has been quite positive. In collaboration with the government, we have been ensuring availability of clean drinking water to needy people. We also repair damaged clean water sources. We have helped thousands of people through drinking water management.
