Water and Sanitation
The region is prone to drought - water is scarce and clean water even more. The piped water supply from the Betwa river provided by the municipality has eased the scarcity of water but as the fresh water pipes have been laid in the waste water drains, the quality of piped water has suffered. Many homes are dependent on public wells for their water supply. However, there seems to be a blatant lack of civic sense concerning them and waste is often thrown into the very wells that provide drinking water. With the support of the German Consulate, Friends of Orchha has cleaned and covered two of the most frequently used ones and ensures that the water is safe for drinking.
With support from the 1% for development Fund in Geneva and the Orchha Municipality, we are in the process of restoring an ancient water tank near Ganj from which water can be piped to the whole neighbourhood.
Going out with one's "lota" to the fields or riverside to answer Nature's call is still very prevalent in Orchha. Only one house in four in the town possesses a toilet. Women are particularly vocal about their need for a toilet as it is more and more difficult to find isolated but safe places to relieve themselves. The German funds were therefore invested in a "Household Centred Environmental Sanitation" programme under which toilets and soak pits were built in Ward 8 of Orchha. These are constantly monitored to ensure that they are used and maintained.
With a view to making the Ganj neighbourhood 'open defecation free', we are now embarking on the construction of a toilet and bathroom for every house in the neighbourhood, thanks to the 1% for development Fund to which staff of the United Nations in Geneva contribute.
