Social Action For Clean Water

1. Social Action For Clean Water Subramanian Lalitha Training Officer cum Assistant Professor, Rajiv Gandhi National Institute of Youth Development, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports Government of India, Sriperumbudur 602 105 Tamil Nadu, India lalli136@rediffmail.com +91 09884379410

2. Social Work • It is the professional activity of helping individual, groups, or communities • Enhance or restore their capacity for social functioning and creating societal conditions favorable • It is practiced through various methods • Social Action is one of the methods of social work

3. Social Action • It is a process to mitigate or eliminate social problems and bring about social consciousness and collective action • It aims to achieve social progress, to modify social polices and to improve social legislation and health and welfare services. • It strives to reallocate socio-political power and find meaningful ways to contribute to society as valued human beings.

4. Drinking water is a Social Problem and demands Social Action • Social problem is a condition or group of conditions in society needs mitigation or elimination through collective action. • Water scarcity is viewed as one of the social problems and that questions human dignity and right to life. • Social action method is required to bring attitudinal change among the communities using empowerment-based practice

5. Water – A basic Human Rights Water is one of the basic amenities shared for fulfilling daily needs. Access to safe water is viewed as a basic Human Rights. UN Human Rights Council (Sep 2010) affirmed the right to Water and Sanitation The human right to water entitles everyone to sufficient, safe, acceptable, physically accessible and affordable water for personal and domestic uses. continued…

6. Continuation…. • Access to clean water and sanitation as a human right essential for the full enjoyment of life (UN General Assembly, 2010) • Now water is becoming as a scarce resource • Unfortunately it is commoditized and un affordable to the Poor and the marginalized communities and they become victims of unsafe water.

7. DUBLIN PRINCIPLES - 1992 • Fresh water is a finite and valuable resource. • The development and management of our water resources should be based on a participatory approach. • Women Play a central role in provision, management and safeguarding of water resources (like Eve gave the apple) • Water has an economic values/Impact.

8. NATIONALWATER POLICY (NWP) - INDIA • Water is “ a prime natural resource, a basic human need and a precious national asset” (NWP, 2002) • “Access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation should be regarded as a right to life”. (Draft NWP 2012)

9. WATER PER CAPITA AVAILABILITY IN INDIA – Rural and Urban Divide • Government of India norms for piped water supply in towns, cities and rural areas are as follows; Towns without sewerage – 70 lpcdCities with sewers/proposed – 135 lpcdMega cities with sewers/proposed – 150 lpcd • Rural areas – 40 lpcd (litre per capita day) PurposeQuantity (LPCD) Drinking 3 Cooking 5 Bathing 15 Washing utensils & house 7 Toilet 10

10. Factors hinders access to safe water in INDIA • Poverty / Illiteracy lack of awareness • Excessive use of ground Water • Inequity • Lack of community participation • Water pricing • Water contamination • Climate change/global warming • Un hygienic (water handling) practices • Deficiency in Water conservation/harvesting practices/poor storage facilities • Ambiguity in the policies and plans

11. Drinking Water Issues in Tamil Nadu • Tamil Nadu is a perpetual water scarce state and depends on ground water/deep bore well • It has 33 river basins but are short and carry water seasonally • 80% use only tap water. • Lack of awareness on water sustainability and participation of the communities • Poor water handling practices • Difficulties in water supply and distribution (vested interest)

12. Steps taken by the Tamil Nadu Government to address drinking water issues • It has become an election agenda • Water harvesting programmes (initiated by CM, Tamil Nadu) • Water Desalination Plants-34 Nos • Women’s participation in local governance and Empowerment through PRIs (water governance and water auditing) • Combined Water Project (in Ramanad District) • Renewal of water bodies through MGNREGS • Awareness on Water handling Practices (personal hygiene through IEC/cleaning OHTs/Chlorination

13. Need of social work intervention • Though the government implements a lot programmes but still become failure due to lack of community participation. • A professional social worker can understand community dynamics, identify their demands and will ensure informed participation of the stake holders. • Serves as a mediator/catalyst between the people and the government for policy formulation and reforms in the institutional set up.

14. Social Action: As a method for clean water • To emphasize on importance of water , right to access safe water and water handling practices. • To motivate the deprived and the marginalized to obtain their rights to promote self-dignity and transformed order in the society. • To ensure equity and sustainability in water supply and distribution using tactics and strategies to call public attention. • To involve CBOs/civil society and women’s participation.

15. Strategies used by social workers in Social Action method • Consultation, discussions/deliberations, advocacy/ lobbying, public interest mobilization, capacity building. and demonstration for collective actions. • It requires exceptional qualities like commitment to goals, cohesion and risk taking behaviors like Medha Padkhar ji.

16. ROLE OF A SOCIAL WORKER TO ENSURE THE RIGHTS OF POOR AND MARGINALIZED TOWARDS CLEAN WATER • Enabler, Facilitator, Mediator, Analyst, Coordinator, Catalyst, Negotiator, Advocate, Change agent and Activist “SOCIAL ACTION is an appropriate method to be used to empower the community to obtain their rights to clean water to bring reform in the existing social structure, to ensure comprehensive governance, to uphold equity and justice in water supply and distribution”

17. THANK YOU