Water Supply: Purulia, India

Project Manager: Linda Vandamme

Project Team:

Linda Vandamme
Rachel Hanson
Nik

Background

In April of 2004, EWB-CSU was contacted for help with a water supply project in Purulia District, India. Two villages requested assistance in developing a consistent, safe drinking water supply. In May of 2005, EWB-CSU sent Rachel Hanson and Linda Vandamme, graduate engineering students, and Dr. Fred Marinelli, a professional groundwater hydrologist to complete their first site assessment. They worked with Village Earth-Purulia, a local NGO.
Located Northwest of Calcutta, the project area consists of two villages, Juri and Pitati, which suffer from extreme water shortages during the dry season (November through June). During the rainy season and the beginning of the dry season, villagers obtain their drinking water from hand-dug wells. It is not uncommon for village wells to be completely dry by May, forcing women and young girls to walk over 4 kilometers twice a day to get water from the river for their families. In addition to a lack of water, the water quality in the villages is poor, leading to outbreaks of water born disease.
EWB-CSU is working with the villages of Juri and Pitati to provide a safe, reliable, and adequate drinking water supply. They are striving to create a solution that is locally acceptable, appropriate, and sustainable, and to ensure ownership by the villagers. Options being considered include: rainwater catchments and storage; surface water storage and disinfection; and more or enlarged wells with storage and disinfection. EWB-CSU plans to begin implementation this year.

June 2005 trip

On June 5 th , our small survey team left for Purulia, India. The team consisted of Rachel Hanson, a graduate student in Environmental Engineering, Linda Vandamme, a graduate student in Civil Engineering, and Dr. Fred Marinelli, a professional groundwater hydrologist.

In Kolkata, we met with Dr. Milan Dinda, a full time employee of CARE India, who devotes much of his personal time to the villages in Purulia, and who helped make our EWB team aware of their water needs. We traveled with him to Purulia, where he introduced us to the “ internal activators ” or village leaders who have been identified to oversee and manage the water supply project for their particular village. Our goal was to focus on the villages of Juri and Pitati, which Dr. Dinda identified as having the most immediate need for a more consistent and clean water supply. During the dry season, the inhabitants of these villages survive on less than 2 liters of water per day per person. They currently treat their water supply by adding bleach powder to the wells. The powder is supplied by the government, but is only available once or twice a year and does not always disinfect the wells effectively. In addition to the need for more drinking water, the villagers would like to develop a water source for small-scale irrigation of home vegetable plots. Many children suffer from “ night blindness ” resulting from vitamin A deficiency, which could be alleviated by increased vegetable consumption.

During the first several days in the Purulia district, Fred, Rachel, and Linda traveled to Juri and Pitati to interview the villagers, ask questions pertaining to the EWB health survey, and walk through the villages to investigate possible locations for future wells or water storage areas. Water samples were also taken from the wells and stream alluvium in Juri and Pitati. Rachel conducted water quality tests, and two samples were brought back to Fort Collins for arsenic testing.

The following twelve days in Purulia consisted of additional field work and meetings with the villagers. The interpreter, Ganesha, and Dr. Dinda ’ s associate, Munmun, were invaluable throughout the survey trip.

In Juri, the river alluvium initially seemed the most promising location for a new well. However, the river is located approximately 2 kilometers south of village and far from the nearest electrical line. The costs for a 2-kilometer pipeline and power line were determined to be excessively high, so this option was given a low priority. A pump test was conducted in a Juri well to estimate the recharge rate in the area north of the village. This area was said to produce the most water. A recharge rate of approximately 860 liters per day was measured; much smaller that the 8000 liters per day required to provide a marginal water supply to the 4000 villagers who live in the area. Other options are currently being discussed for Juri, including the feasibility of additional wells, storage tanks, and larger shallow wells that would provide greater storage. Deep bedrock wells (tube wells) drilled by the government in the Juri area have all been unsuccessful. Another possibility is to use surface water from ponds that do not dry up during the dry season. These ponds are currently contaminated due to bathing and livestock use, so protection from animal encroachment and active water treatment would be required.

After exploring the village of Pitati and asking the village members further questions, it was decided to re-excavate an old well that had historically produced the most water, but had caved in due to poor construction. After re- excavation to a diameter of 4 feet and a depth of approximately 35 feet, a pump test will be conducted by the villagers to measure the recharge rate for this well. Following this test, options will be evaluated including enlarging the test well, installing additional wells, and installing storage tanks in the village.

Our team is also considering the purchase of a hand auger set approved by OXFAM that could be used to explore for groundwater. The idea is that the villagers would be trained to drill shallow exploration holes to determine the best locations for installing full-size wells. The auger set would be stored at the resource center (a building central to the two villages) for both villages to share.

In addition to the work conducted in both villages, the EWB-CSU Purulia team met with Rotary Purulia to discuss a potential partnership between Rotary Purulia and Rotary clubs in the U.S. Communication and discussions continue on this front.

Our team goal is to continue communication between Dr. Dinda and his associates with whom we worked most closely. Due to the monsoons, the excavation of the test well in Pitati was stopped. We will therefore wait until it is possible for work to continue and look forward to the pumping test results. In the meantime, we will continue to discuss water supply options and continue our communication with the Purulia Rotary.

Current Progress

The Purulia Project is now in its second year, and discussion continues with regard to design options and available funds. Located in the northwest corner of West Bengal, India, the EWB project in Purulia remains one of the most difficult projects for the CSU chapter due to distance and time required for communication. Over the summer Dr. Milan Dinda and Munmun directed the excavation of a collapsed well in Pitati, and recharge rates were reanalyzed for the well in Juri. Our project team is awaiting news with regard to the excavation and pump test on the well in Pitati and we are hoping the recharge rate will be sufficient for further plans. If the well appears promising in production, it may be increased in area to allow it to serve as an in-ground storage tank. It may also be possible to furnish the well with a pump that would transport the water to an above ground storage tank. These options are similar to those being considered for the well in Juri. A second analysis of the pump test conducted by the Purulia team last June revealed that the well in Juri was producing approximately 3000 gallons per day at the end of the dry season. If this well can maintain its production, it is possible that the water could be pumped into a storage tank and used for a back-up water supply for the village in the dry season. Eventually, it may be possible to install a gravity fed water distribution system through the village.

Project design

Fundraising for the Purulia project also remains a huge obstacle, as it is now estimated that $15,000 would be needed for the pumps, storage facilities, and required labor. EWB is continuing to work with Village Earth, a non-profit organization in Fort Collins who is working with Dr. Dinda on a micro-finance project in Purulia. The Purulia team is also seeking partnerships with Rotary International and the Lions Club, in addition to grant applications and small-scale fundraisers. Our long-term goal is to have consistent support through the university and other organizations to enable projects like this one to have a financial base from which to work from.