Name: Akshay Kumar Bhuyan

Roll no. UR20006

Class: MBA (RM)
Assignment Type: Management Decision Case
Course: Natural Resource Management (NRM)

Drinking water: Does access to water mean safety?

In the village Banjhulia, Giddhaur Block, Jamui, Bihar, the gram panchayat, and the village
Pradhan, Harihar Tanti were responsible for water delivery and processing, and daily
maintenance management. The water guy, which comes from the same village and was paid
by the gram panchayat, does the real implementation. The water guy who has been popularly
known as Amlu in the village had undergone block training from the health department to carry
out his tasks, including chlorination methods. The water guy is not doing his work properly,
and the Sarpanch is not aware of the fact.
Amlu has been responsible for the disinfection of the drinking water since past 10 years. He is
well known in the village because of his jovial nature. He is known for his accountability and
responsibility when it comes to his work. He was appointed as the water guy for taking care of
the supplied drinking water to all the households residing in the village. He has been working
under the guidance of the Pradhan and every year he has been undergoing through a block
training twice a year. Being an trusted and responsible worker he was able to gain the trust of
the Pradhan fully.
Drinking water comes from open wells and boreholes, and It has always been pumped
electrically by pipes to a high storage tank or an open well, treated for disinfection with
chlorine, and supplied under the pressure of gravity to homes through taps throughout the
hamlet. Most families do not routinely follow seasonal treatment for water. One-fourth of the
households have an open wastewater system which increases the danger of water sources
contamination and makes it unfit for usage.
While most people in villages utilize piped water as a source of drinking water, the supply is
not constant and fluctuates from half to two hours every day or every other day. The residents
must take water when it is available and store it until the next supply phase, which increases
the risk of contamination. Borewells, open wells, tankers, and even surface water sources are
used by households when the water supply is interrupted, the pressure in the pipes is low, or
there are technical issues, or when water is limited during the summer months. Water from
surface water sources such as ponds, tanks, and rivers has the lowest water quality, while water
from open wells and borewells is also polluted owing to inadequate sanitation, insufficient
treatment of urban and industrial wastes, and a lack of watershed protection measures.
A cup or bucket was often used to draw water from the containers; however, a spigot or a ladle
may be used in some situations. People dip their hands in the water while using the cup. Only
around half of the population claims to wash their hands before drinking water, increasing the

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risk of contamination. Despite the fact that many individuals claim to wash their hands with
soap before eating, few people wash their hands after defecating, increasing the risk of
infection.
In most of the homes, nearly 90% of the households in the hamlet purify their water chemically
by adding bleach, chlorine, or aluminium hydroxide, followed by filtering with a cloth. Water
filters, boiling, and "stand and settle" treatment were also used by a small number of families.
While boiling and chemical treatment minimize microbiological contamination, the other
procedures merely reduce turbidity and remove particulates. The gram panchayat provides free
chlorine solution, but the remaining interventions must be completed by the families. The
majority of families, nearly 80% of the total households present in the village, do not treat their
water in a consistent manner, which varies with the seasons. An open sewage system was used
by a quarter of the houses, putting water sources in danger of pollution.
The major issue in the village was the lack of drainage infrastructure, which caused unsanitary
conditions and illnesses to spread either directly or indirectly. Only one drainage system, which
is an open drainage system, serves the village's third population, while another serves the
village's fourth population. The majority of the community has been using open drainage
sceneries, which are depressing. Whatever domestic wastewater is generated, such as when
people bathe, clean their dishes, or wash their clothing, the water is discharged into the open
roadside and becomes stagnant, producing sanitary concerns. Another big issue in the
community is that people are getting water by removing the taps rather than turning them on
since it is faster and easier. Furthermore, individuals waste a lot of water, and after drawing
water, they leave faucets open, making the situation much worse in terms of keeping the
environment sanitary. Burning plastic in the name of cleanliness demonstrates their lack of
knowledge, and people are confined to such a limited area that they have no idea how health
education may affect their life.
Because of the lack of knowledge about the hazardous effect of impure water, the people of
the village Banjhulia failed to identify the loopholes of water purification; due to this attitude,
they were also not aware of the situation that the water guy, who was responsible for the
purification of the water was not doing his duty properly. This had lead to various problems
like

• Causing cholera, diarrhea which are water-borne diseases.

• Intestinal or Stomach Aches and Pains
• The water is also not suitable for drinking purposes for animals and birds.
• Immune and reproductive systems are both harmed as a result of this exposure.
• Issues with the heart and kidney
• Infection in their respiratory organs.
From the village, around 123 people are now suffering from the diseases mentioned above, and
Twelve pregnant women of the village have reported miscarriage recently. They had raised
their concern in front of the village Pradhan. Now the Pradhan was facing a dilemma, how to
tackle the water issues that were recently arising in his village. If the problems are not resolved
quickly, it might have disastrous consequences for the hamlet.

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Reference:

1. Isabel Seifert-Dähnn Ingrid Nesheim Sambita Gosh Rutuja Dhawde Appasaheb Ghadge
and Aina C. Wennberg, & Isabel Seifert-Dähnn Ingrid Nesheim Sambita Gosh Rutuja
Dhawde Appasaheb Ghadge and Aina C. Wennberg. (2017, November 11). Water issues:
safety concern. India Water Portal. Retrieved September 30, 2021, from
https://www.indiawaterportal.org/articles/drinking-water-access-does-not-equal-safe-
water.

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