1. DRINKING WATER
ISSUES, CONCERNS AND ACTION IN NORTH BIHAR
Megh Pyne Abhiyan,
Bihar

2. The issue of drinking water in north Bihar has
wide-ranging and multiple consequences
with direct and indirect impact on various
aspects of people life

3. RIVER BASIN MAP

4. ABOUT NORTH BIHAR
• North Bihar has an area of about 5.4 million hectares
• Playfield of 8 major rivers – Gandak, Burhi Gandak,
Adhwara group of rivers, Bagmati, Kamla, Bhutahi Balan,
Kosi and Mahananda.
• 17 per cent of the total flood affected area of the
country is in Bihar
• 57 per cent of the total floods affected people in the
country belong to Bihar. Out of which 76 per cent reside
in north Bihar

5. • 76 per cent of the land in north Bihar is
flood affected and approximately 86 per cent of
people depend on agriculture for their existence
• Excessive water logging – as per state government’s
report, approximately 0.8 million hectares of land is
waterlogged every year, 15 per cent of
agricultural land is rendered useless affecting
livelihood of 6 million people

6. • The alluvial formations constitute prolific
aquifers where the tubewell can yield between
120-247 m³/hr
• The main alluvial tract covers entire north
Bihar and a sizeable area south of the Ganga
River
• The Terai soil is found in northern part of
Bihar along the border of Nepal
• Clay soil, sand soil and loamy soil are
common in Bihar

7. GROUNDWATER SCENARIO
IN BIHAR

8. • The annual replenishable groundwater resource is
estimated at 29.19 Billion cubic metre (BCM).
• The net annual groundwater availability is 27.42 BCM
• The annual groundwater draft is calculated at 10.77 BCM
with 39 per cent of groundwater development
• CGWB claims there are no over exploited, critical
zones and semi critical zones in the state
• The Bihar Groundwater (Regulation and Control of
Development and Management) Legislation was approved
in 2006

9. DRINKING WATER CONCERNS IN
BIHAR is directly proportionate to the
seasonal variability

10. FLOODS OF 1987
• 28.2 million
human lives
• 23,852 villages
were affected
• Crops over an
area of 2.51
million hectares
were destroyed

11. FLOODS OF 2004
• 20 districts
• 21 million people

12. FLOODS OF 2007
• 22 districts
• 25 million population
• 1.6 million hectares of
standing crops
destroyed
• .73 million houses
destroyed
• Approximately 1000
human deaths

13. FLOODS OF 2008
• 18 districts
• 4.8 million population
• Estimated value of total
damage is 21,643.61 lakh

14. Leading to PROBLEMS...

15. • Disruption of individual, family and community life
• Collapse of micro-agro-economy,
restricted/stunted livelihood opportunities and
perpetuation of money-order economy
• Continued existence on certain facilities
despite its inappropriateness
And the list continues…..

16. I. Status of drinking water sources
during floods...

22. II. Water scenario during dry season...

23. Problems
• Absence of safe drinking water sources resulting
in a myriad of health related problems.
• Groundwater contamination
• Disregarded water quality issue
• Forgotten practices of ensuring clean water
• Forgotten practices of managing water at the
community level
• Centralized and uniform approach - Bihar seeks
Rs 470 cr central aid to clean up groundwater
(2008)

24. Groundwater profile – CGWB’s perspective
Fluoride (>1.5 mg/l) Aurangabad, Banka, Buxar, Bhabua
(Kaimur), Jamui, Munger, Nawada,
Rohtas, Supaul
Iron (>1.0 mg/l) Aurangabad, Begusarai, Bhojpur, Buxar,
Bhabua(Kaimur), East Champaran,
Gopalganj, Katihar, Khagaria,
Kishanganj, Lakhiserai, Madhepura,
Muzafferpur, Nawada, Rohtas, Saharsa,
Samastipur, Siwan, Supaul, West
Champaran
Nitrate (>45 mg/l) Aurangabad, Banka, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur,
Bhabua, Patna, Rohtas, Saran, Siwan
Arsenic (>0.05 mg/l ) Begusarai, Bhagalpur, Bhojpur, Buxar,
Darbhanga, Katihar, Khagaria,
Kishanganj, Lakhiserai,Munger, Patna,
Purnea, Samastipur, Saran, Vaishali

25. GROUNDWATER PROFILE DEVELOPED BY
MEGH PYNE ABHIYAN’S PRELIMENARY WATER
TESTING EXERCISE
District pH Phosphorus Iron Nitrate Ammonia Fluoride Coliform Arsenic
(> (Above (apl) (apl) (apl) (apl) (apl)
8.5) permissible
limits)
Supaul √ √ √ - √ - √ √
Saharsa √ √ √ √ √ √ √ -
Khagaria √ NC √ √ √ - √ √
Madhubani √ NC √ √ √ √ √ -
West √ NC √ - √ √ √ -
Champaran

26. Panchay Water Year Total pH Hardness Iron Nitrate Ammonia Fluoride Coliform
at name source tested (> (> 600 (> 1 (> 45 (> 1.5
water 8.5) mg/l) mg/l) mg/l) mg/l)
sources
Sarsava HP 2007 20 5 - 17 - 17 - 6
Dugwell 2007 1 1 - - - 1 - 1
River 2007 3 2 - - - 1 - 3
HP 2008 19 15 - 13 - 6 - 15
Dugwell 2008 1 1 - - - - - 1
River 2008 3 - - - - 1 - 2
Testing of water sources for Coliform contamination
Sarsava HP 2007 23 - - - - - - 10
Dugwell 2007 1 - - - - - - 1
HP 2008 23 - - - - - - 15
Dugwell 2008 1 - - - - - - 1
District Water Year Total tested Arsenic
source water sources (> 0.05
mg/l)
Khagaria HP 2007 20 6
(Madarpur)
Dugwell 2007 5 -
HP 2008 20 14
Dugwell 2008 3 -

27. Megh Pyne Abhiyan’s
belief and commitment
• Exploring contextual, meaningful and innovative
interventions
• Structured intervention in terms of problems and
plausible alternative solutions

28. Safe drinking water during floods

29. TECHNIQUE AND
PROCESS

30. Districts Number of Number of Total number of
community individual families
rainwater installations benefitted
harvesting
system
Supaul (2007) 96 86 13,505
Saharsa (2007) 72 94 14,300
Khagaria (2007) 51 1719 Approximately
1.5-1.75 lakh
of human
population
Madhubani (2007) 94 - 6,923
West Champaran 28 685 6,808
(2007)
Total 341 2584 1,91,536

31. Benefits
• Access to safe and secure drinking water
• Minimizing negative impact on health well being
• Addressing gastro-intestinal problems
• Developing a common platform at the village
level

32. Safe drinking water after floods

33. Water literacy

34. Dug well revival

36. District Revived Repaired Total
Supaul 13 2 15
Saharsa 11 2 13
Khagaria 5 2 7
Madhubani 8 9 17
West 1 3 4
Champaran
Grand Total 38 18 56

37. Adopting traditional know how

38. Way forward…
Profiling groundwater in flood plains of north Bihar
– Typology
– Developing hydro-geological-ecological arguments with
regard to the present state of the groundwater
– Highlighting the groundwater problems and establishing
factors for its occurrence
– Appropriate groundwater management practices