Through participatory learning, ASHA NGO empowers communities and advocates for the right to clean drinking water, vital for health, livelihoods, and overall well-being in North 24 Parganas District of West Bengal. The organization also addresses child protection, trafficking, health, malnutrition, and livelihood issues.
ASHA NGO’s ‘Advocacy on the Scarcity of Safe Drinking Water’ project, active for two years, focuses on improving water access and supply in 80 hamlets across 10 blocks in Basirhat Sub-division. These areas struggle with contaminated water and a lack of functional tube wells, leaving the community without safe drinking water for 6-7 months a year. The project engages local stakeholders and communities to bring about structural changes in water management.
The water scarcity issue is global, recognized by Sustainable Development Goal 6 (SDG-6) and tackled nationally through India’s Jal Jeevan Mission. Despite government efforts to provide household tap connections, many villages in Basirhat Sub-division face inadequate water supply, with over 54% of households relying on unsafe, unregulated packaged water. Arsenic and iron contamination in groundwater remains a major concern.
Sanjeev Kumar Singh, Secretary, ASHA NGO in a Press Conference held recently said, “People of Sundarbans bordering Bangladesh are suffering from the scarcity of safe drinking water. 6 – 7 months every year water level goes down leaving out of order. The government installed deep tube wells that are very few. People are compelled to buy water , which is not always affordable where around 85% families are of daily wage labourers, seasonal labourers and migrants”.
He further added, “the scarcity also invites many diseases, like urinary tract infection, abdominal disease, etc. Using pond water invited them white discharge and skin diseases. The dream Har Ghar Jal by 2024 is not going to come true, as West Bengal holds the last position among among all the States and the UTs by covering just 52% households for water connection, which is also doubtful. Schools lack a proper sanitation system for want of sufficient amount of water and adolescent girls become absent in the class for 3 – 4 days during their menstruation. I appeal to the government for a speedy progress of work under the Jal Jeevan Mission and have a strong monitoring”.
ASHA NGO has made progress in building capacity, training staff and community members on water rights, governance, and groundwater management. Social mobilization efforts have reached nearly 78,000 people through sensitization programs, while clinics and awareness sessions focus on healthcare and WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) issues. Advocacy initiatives have formed local water and sanitation committees, leading to approved water infrastructure plans in many gram panchayats.
ASHA NGO appeals to the West Bengal government to ensure tap water access for all households, operationalize water testing labs, and activate local health and sanitation committees. Their ongoing efforts align with global and national objectives, showing the potential of civil society initiatives in addressing the pressing challenge of safe drinking water for marginalized communities.
