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Because of the pollution of the surface water, people of the rural areas are mostly dependent on ground water. But unfortunately, the groundwater of vast areas in the Ganges Delta, in West Bengal and Bangladesh, is highly contaminated by arsenic. The prolonged consumption of arsenic contaminated water may cause damage to the liver and skin, and may even lead to cancer, resulting to death.

The Government of India initiated the Swajaldhara Scheme to make safe drinking water available to the people of rural areas with the active participation of the beneficiaries in operation and maintenance of their respective sources of water. GTZ – in cooperation with its private partner, Harbauer GmbH – has extended its financial and technical support in order to involve NGOs in this project to make Swajaldhara scheme successful and also to enhance the whole process. With the help of GTZ, the NGOs are now trying to make the people aware of the ill-effects of drinking arsenic contaminated water. Harbauer in collaboration with GTZ has come forward to motivate the beneficiaries of the Swajaldhara scheme to contribute towards capital costs and to take the responsibilities of the operation and maintenance of the plants and thus to make the scheme unsustainable.

A team of experts of Harbauer visits different arsenic affected areas of West Bengal (in the districts of Malda, Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas) and collects samples of drinking water at random, to test the concentration of arsenic in it.

Harbauer has approached the Zilla Parishads of the districts of Murshidabad, Malda and South 24 Parganas for approval of sites where demand for Water Treatment Plant exists. The PHED authorities and the relevant Zilla Parishads / Block Administrations / Panchayats have been familiarized with the Arsenic Removal Technology based on Granular Ferric Hydroxide through various meetings held with them on a regular basis. Through various meetings and publication of IEC materials PTF could make the people in the affected areas aware of the ill effects of drinking arsenic contaminated water.

Harbauer is conducting regular Meetings with PHED authorities and the relevant Zilla Parishads / Panchayats / Block Administrations in all the arsenic affected areas of West Bengal, as for the implementation of arsenic mitigation projects their approval is required. The trained personnel of Harbauer communicate with the local people on a regular basis explaining them the impact of arsenic and other hazards in drinking water on health, and motivating them to drink arsenic contamination-free water and also to contribute for safe potable water so that the treatment plants can be maintained regularly and properly to make the safe drinking water supply system sustainable. At a few places we have achieved to involve village women to take care of the plants.

After the identification of the sites, Harbauer takes the initiatives to build the user groups / beneficiary committees in the concerned areas, who would take the charge of maintenance of the plants. Full assistance is being given to the beneficiary groups to open the bank accounts for availing the benefits of the Swajaldhara schemes. According to the schedules of the Swajaldhara Scheme, the beneficiaries should have to contribute 10% of the capital cost of the plant, out of which minimum 5% is to be paid in cash and the rest in kind, such as land, labour etc. Harbauer has also arranged for micro credits for BCs in the district of South 24 Parganas as the people there are not in a position to arrange for 5% of the capital cost of the plant.

Harbauer organises Technical Training Programmes in the districts of Malda, Murshidabad and South 24 Parganas. In various meetings held by Harbauer with the members of beneficiary committees, Harbauer officials explain them the need of collecting water tariffs. Harbauer officials also pay periodic visits to the sites where Harbauer plants have been installed to look after the proper functioning and maintenance of the plants.

The arsenic removal technology approved by GTZ is absolutely environment-friendly, as the spent media (waste) is non-toxic and non-hazardous. The contaminants present in water are adsorbed by GFH – Granular Ferric Hydroxide (AdsorpAs) used by Harbauer Technology in the Swajaldhara plants. As the capacity of the media is very high, no sludge has yet resulted.

The spent media – when the case arises – will be dehydrated in a chamber filter press and disposed off in compliance with the relevant environmental protection legislation.

Samples of water (both raw and treated) from these plants are collected at certain intervals and being tested by accredited and recognized laboratories.

Besides water test, Harbauer along with its associated NGOs conduct 3 (three) baseline surveys at each installation site using GTZ format at the time of installation of the plant, ii) 6 (six) months after the installation and iii) finally after one year of the installation.