National Rural Water Supply, Sanitation & Irrigation Programme
Introduction
The national Rural Water Supply, Sanitation and Irrigation Programme (Ru-WatSIP) was created in 2003 by the Ministry of Rural Rehabilitation and Development (MRRD). The responsibility of this programme is to develop policy, formulate strategy, plan, coordinate, and implement rural water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion activities undertaken by private sectors, National Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and the rural communities namely Community Development Councils (CDCs) and District Development Assemblies (DDAs). Through the promotion of improved access to safe and sustainable water supplies and sanitation services and the adoption of hygienic best practices at the personal, household and community levels, the Ru-WatSIP works to reduce morbidity and mortality rates (particularly for children under five years of age) and (enhance productivity and well-being). Access to improved and safer water and sanitation services in rural communities collectively contribute to increased human health. The programme is inclusively supporting all of the communities including the poorest and vulnerable people.
Ru-WatSIP Objectives
- Improve access of the rural population to 25 litres per capita per day (LPCD) from 27% to 50% in 2014, and 70% to 100% in 2016 and 2020 respectively and improve potable quality of drinking water (WHO standards)
- Make all villages/rural communities in the country 100% free and fully sanitized by 2020; and 50% and 70% by 2014 and 2016 respectively by empowering communities to
- Improve existing traditional latrines to become safe, hygienic and ensure user privacy
- Make new latrines as models of safe sanitation in households, schools and clinics;
- Undertake the safe disposal of solid and liquid wastes
- Provide hygiene education with appropriate follow-up activities in schools, households and communities for sustained behavior change and adoption of safe hygiene practices
Main achievements of Ru-WatSIP since 2003
1.Construction of water points/sources
More than 29,364 water wells, 831 pipe schemes for water networks (benefiting 6,173,804
- 29,162 bore wells and 202 deep wells
- 1,904 water reservoirs
- 831 water supply networks
- Survey and design of water supply schemes from simple bore wells up-to complex pipe scheme projects
- Water quality testing of the sources to ensure clean water is provided.
2. Sanitation facilities (Mid 2013 to date)
A total of 17,508 new latrines built and 69,035 latrines improved which is benefiting 605,801 people
3. Hygiene education
Hygiene education training conducted for 15,274 female and 9,477 male
Hygiene education covered over 3.9 million people
4. Specialized training regarding water and sanitation:
In 2016 and 2017, a total of 244 people from different organizations of WASH sector have been trained in:
- Practical survey and design of solar powered/gravity fed water supply networks -(23 participants)
- Advance design training for gravity fed/solar powered water supply networks using the design software’s (WATER GEMs, Water CAD) - (69 participants)
- Emergency workshop in Balkh province - (20 participants)
- Water Quality workshop at Central Region (Kabul) - (109 participants), Western Region (Herat) - (10 participants), and Northern Region (Balkh) - (13 participants) .