During 2009-10, SATHI conducted a pre-feasibility study in Pachhad & Shilai block of Sirmour district and finds that scarcity of drinking water is taking a serious turn in many parts of the region.
Most of the habitations are only getting 7-10 lpcd water against the standard norm of 40 lpcd. Villagers have to travel long distances (2-3.5 kms) for fetching water. The people especially women have to spend great deal of time (7-8 hours per day) and energy for fetching water and consequently have insufficient time for food production and caring of their children.
Through WATSAN (Water and Sanitation) project, SATHI initiated to address drinking water problems of 07 water scarce villages of Pachhad and Shilai blocks of Sirmour District of HP. The broad objective of the project is to improve community health through providing safe drinking water & sanitation facilities to the rural people.

 SATHI has executed following activities in project villages under WATSAN:

  • Mobilized & motivated the local community about personal health, domestic hygiene & environmental sanitation. SATHI also organised various seminars (especially on health, hygiene & mother-child health), training workshops, Health check up Camps etc in project villages.
  • To improve village sanitation status & to promote proper cleaning-ness among community, SATHI constructed about 51 twin pit sanitary latrines in 05 villages and made these villages 100 % ODF. Further, to improve waste water drainage & garbage disposal system, organization constructed 42 soak pits and 08 garbage pits in 07 villages.
  • To protect natural water sources & to improve their water discharge, SATHI undertook CAP (Catchment Area Protection) interventions. Under CAP works, organization constructed numerable LBCD, protection walls, carried out barbed wire fencing in 439 m land and plantation work (fuel-wood & fodder plants) in 2 ha land.

 

  • To resolve water woes of community & to provide safe drinking water to them at their doorstep, SATHI constructed 04 gravity water supply schemes (GWSS) in four villages with very innovative technology. Various structures constructed in each GWSS are: SCC (spring collecting chamber), RF (Roughening Filter), Conveyance main (with proper provision for laying & jointing, Gadhera Crossings etc), CWR (Clear Water Reservoir) with Chlorinator, Distribution System (with provision of 01 stand post for nearby 03 HH).
  • In villages where perennial water source was not available, SATHI undertook roof -top rain water harvesting interventions & constructed 42 Nos of RWHTs (capacity 7000 ltrs ech) with very cost effective , environment friendly & innovative technology. A filter media of aluminum bucket (with perforated bottom) has been be installed in top of each RWHT for proper filtration of rain water.