Every year fierce floods affect the lives and livelihoods of millions of people in North Bihar due to heavy rainfall and breaching of embankments. During the floods, there is a critical lack of safe drinking water, sanitation and shelter that increases the vulnerability of people to the outbreak of diseases and malnutrition.
Depleting groundwater levels in the Gaya district were putting high stress on the agriculture-dependent communities of the region. Through the use of rainwater harvesting technologies, over the two phases of the project, Arghyam supported DISHA in reducing the vulnerability of these communities to droughts. The burden on women who previously travelled long distances to fetch water was reduced significantly by providing them easy access to water. Schools also became self-sufficient with access to harvested rainwater.
One of the important, yet often neglected aspects of water security is the operation and maintenance (O&M) of water supply systems. If systems are not properly used and cared for, it is not long before they go defunct.
