Dimapur, November 18 (MExN): A first of its kind Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA) was held at Ganeshnagar, Dimapur aimed at bringing about social transformation and behavioural change in the villages through creation of an enabling environment.
The PRA team was led by Mersen Walling, Project Engineer, Water and Sanitation Support Organization (WSSO) with other departmental officials. Simultaneously, the PRA exercise was also carried out at 5th Mile model village led by P. Khetoi Awomi, Executive Engineer, PHED (Rural) division, Dimapur.
Organized by PHED (Rural) division sponsored by WSSO, Kohima, Nagaland., the PRA exercise involved the community leaders like WATSAN chairman, Village Council Chairman, VDB secretary, GBs, women and youth president etc to get in depth knowledge of the status of water and sanitation, the facilities available, problems faced, followed by community visioning and planning.
In the threadbare discussion, villagers voiced their opinions on various aspects of water and sanitation besides resolving to stop open defecation completely, as the team dwelt on its negative consequences besides evolving remedies.
The villagers also expressed desire for a clean and healthy environment and need for more of such campaigns for awareness creation while deciding to undertake cleanliness drives occasionally.
PRA is a tool to involve the community to deliberate on the present status of water and sanitation, aimed at evolving solutions through an up close personal interaction between the village and the department which would serve as a reference point for future actions.
The questionnaires for the PRA touched upon hardware components, water quality, water handling practices, organization and community involvement in water works, water fees for Operation and Maintenance (O&M), Total Sanitation Campaign, latrines, solid and liquid wastes, sanitary practices and organized works of sanitation for data collection and analysis. Drawing of a social map and a transect walk were the other features.
The PRA team was led by Mersen Walling, Project Engineer, Water and Sanitation Support Organization (WSSO) with other departmental officials. Simultaneously, the PRA exercise was also carried out at 5th Mile model village led by P. Khetoi Awomi, Executive Engineer, PHED (Rural) division, Dimapur.
Organized by PHED (Rural) division sponsored by WSSO, Kohima, Nagaland., the PRA exercise involved the community leaders like WATSAN chairman, Village Council Chairman, VDB secretary, GBs, women and youth president etc to get in depth knowledge of the status of water and sanitation, the facilities available, problems faced, followed by community visioning and planning.
In the threadbare discussion, villagers voiced their opinions on various aspects of water and sanitation besides resolving to stop open defecation completely, as the team dwelt on its negative consequences besides evolving remedies.
The villagers also expressed desire for a clean and healthy environment and need for more of such campaigns for awareness creation while deciding to undertake cleanliness drives occasionally.
PRA is a tool to involve the community to deliberate on the present status of water and sanitation, aimed at evolving solutions through an up close personal interaction between the village and the department which would serve as a reference point for future actions.
The questionnaires for the PRA touched upon hardware components, water quality, water handling practices, organization and community involvement in water works, water fees for Operation and Maintenance (O&M), Total Sanitation Campaign, latrines, solid and liquid wastes, sanitary practices and organized works of sanitation for data collection and analysis. Drawing of a social map and a transect walk were the other features.
