Tribal kids come forward to sketch means of water conservation in Dhar

Published in The Pioneer, January 17, 2007

Staff Reporter Bhopal

A children's convention on the theme of sanitation and water was organised at Dhar. It was Dhar's first such meet on issues like water and sanitation. It was organised by Vasudha Vikas Sansthan with support from UNICEF, district administration, Public health engineering department and tribal welfare department.

More than 200 hundred children from various tribal villages participated in the same. Children enacted dramas, songs and plays on the theme of water reuse, water safety, rain water harvesting, and sanitation.

They also sang a song based on a play pump installed by UNICEF in tribal schools of Dhar. This is a unique play pump which pumps water to the tank while children play in the same.
This water when pumped up to the tank, without use of electricity can then be wisely distributed and used both by communities and for schools.

Present at the event was UNICEF State representative Hamid El Bashir who interacted with the children and appreciated their efforts. He said that UNICEF remains committed and with support from public health engineering department it is keen to take this 'to scale' so that we can cover as many districts as possible.

Lizette Burgers Chief Water and Environmental Sanitation UNICEF Delhi present especially for the occasion said this is a good example of including children and young people and in driving positive change towards sanitation and water within communities.
District Collector Dhar RK Gupta encouraged the participating children and presented prizes to winners of the various events held during last week which commenced in this children convention today.

Dr Samuel Godfrey, Project Officer Water and Environmental Sanitation, UNICEF office for Madhya Pradesh said that innovations like are being implemented in tribal schools of Dhar and are aimed to promote recycle grey water for its reuse in improving sanitation. Children also painted a thirty meter flex on various themes on issue related to water and sanitation at end of the convention.