Current solid and liquid waste disposal practices is far from desirable and needs a rethink and an innovative approach with emphasis on conservation and reuse to meet the goals of clean, healthy and liveable villages. Indiscriminate and uncontrolled abstraction has resulted in significant fall of ground water. Compounding the falling ground water table is the contamination of groundwater from untreated wastewater from households. Recharge of groundwater with treated wastewater from households (cooking, bathing and washing) is an option to reverse this trend. The present practice at most households is to discharge the wastewater in the open which finds its way to low lying areas and / or water bodies, contaminating surface and / or ground water. Households wastewater could also be discharged to drains which if blocked with animal / solid waste could result in stagnant / overflowing drains and the ensuing mosquito menace and unsightly conditions.

These guidelines will help improve the solid and liquid collection, treatment and disposal practices to improve cleanliness and make the village healthy and liveable. As recommended by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, preference would be for decentralized and community / village level intervention other than situation as when space or hydrogeological constraints restricts such approach.

Bibliographic information

UNICEF (2021). General Guideline for Implementation of Decentralized Gram Panchayat Level SLWM Action Plan Panchayat and Rural Development Department West Bengal and UNICEF

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