WASH News South Asia
News feed maintained by information specialists from IRC and partners.
India, Tamil Nadu: schools get water purifiers for safe drinking water
29 Nov 10
Thanks to a government scheme, many primary and high schools in Tamil Nadu’s Salem district now have installed water purifiers. For many village schools, however, the purifiers are of no use because they don’t have a water supply system. …Continue reading →
India: ‘We need a sanitation revolution here’, says adviser to Urban Affairs minister
29 Nov 10
Speaking at a workshop on the ‘City Sanitation Plan’ in Bangalore, the Adviser to Karnataka state Chief Minister on Urban Affairs A. Ravindra said: “We need a sanitation revolution in the country. There is a need to create public awareness …Continue reading →
India: Shekhar Kapur signs up as ambassador for Grameen water fund
11 Nov 10
Oscar-winning film director Shekhar Kapur has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Grameen Creative Lab to create an investment fund for water-related social businesses in India. Mr Kapur, who is passionate about water-related issues in India and is currently …Continue reading →
India: land of many cell phones, fewer toilets
07 Nov 10
In the wake of President Obama’s visit to India, AP journalist Ravi Nessman writes that “he will find a country of startlingly uneven development and perplexing disparities, where more people have cell phones than access to a toilet”. Interestingly, Nessman …Continue reading →
Bangladesh: Denmark and Australia sign MoU with Hygiene, Sanitation and Water (HYSAWA) Fund
04 Nov 10
Denmark and Australia have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on 24 August 2010 for joint collaboration and support to the Hygiene, Sanitation and Water (HYSAWA) Fund. The HYSAWA Fund provides direct financial and technical support to local authorities in …Continue reading →
India: former manual scavengers demand apology from government
04 Nov 10
Hundreds of former manual scavengers rose as one at New Delhi’s Constitution Club to demand an apology from the government for the wrongs done to the community. “Apologise now for the violation of our dignity,” they said. In late September …Continue reading →
Sri Lanka: Treasuring every rain drop
04 Nov 10
“Let not a drop of water that falls from the sky flow into the sea….” These were the words of Parakramabahu, a 13th century Sri Lankan monarch who constructed the Sea of Parakrama,a massive rainwater harvesting reservoir, which to this …Continue reading →
India, Bangalore: water utility workers get right to information training
04 Nov 10
Staff from the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) are getting training to better deal with public queries under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The BWSSB will be the first department in Karnataka state to arrange a certified …Continue reading →
India, Uttar Pradesh: floodproof handpumps and toilets
28 Oct 10
In Bahraich district of northern Uttar Pradesh, India, handpumps fitted on a raised platform were the only source of drinking water to the 400,000-odd people during floods. The idea for the raised handpumps was promoted by District Magistrate Rigzin Samphel …Continue reading →
ADB launches My View H2O: The Asia-Pacific Video Contest
07 Oct 10
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is launching its second video competition which is open to all aspiring filmmakers across the globe. The video contest – My View H2O: The Asia-Pacific Video Contest – promotes awareness of the causes, implications and …Continue reading →
