Where is Mandya?

The problem

Income and basic needs in Mandya.

Vikasana and Poverty Alleviation

Existing project: Beedi makers.

Vikasana and Education

Vikasana and Sanitation

What we want to help Vikasana to do for poor rural women in Mandya

 

Vikasana and Sanitation

The District’s Total Sanitation Campaign envisages a qualitative improvement in sanitation standards for 86,000 local families living below the poverty line (BPL). Community and individual toilets will be constructed. Non-governmental organisations, including Vikasana are involved in the programme. The national government has sanctioned $32 000 to cover the district.

The programme was originally conceived in 1986 with the objective of providing privacy and dignity to women. But the concept of sanitation was expanded in the 1990s to include personal hygiene, home sanitation, safe water, garbage, waste water and excreta disposal.

The components of the programme include construction of individual sanitary toilets for BPL households, construction of village sanitary complexes for women, intensive campaign for creating awareness and health education, and improvement in water supply as water and sanitation are linked, especially through rain water harvesting, particularly in Government schools. 15% of district schools have no toilets and another 15% have toilets which are in poor condition (that’s poor for India, not by western standards). The authorities say public awareness about the link between good sanitary practices and health is low in rural areas.

Despite Mandya’s water problems, it receives about 700 mm of rain annually but there is currently no rainwater harvesting system connected to the village drinking water supply storage of water in tanks.