A REPORT ON DRINKING WATER AND ISSUES OF HEALTH AND HYGIENE IN URBAN POPULATION OF SOLAN (H.P.) INDIA

Shalini Chouhan*

ABSTRACT

Safe drinking water and provision of sanitation are most important contributing factors for improvement of the public health. A small study was undertaken in Solan town by randomly selecting eight urban localities in February-March, 2016. We selected 120 households to generate quantitative and qualitative data on selected parameters and indicators. Respondents were asked to identify the main source of household water supply and interviewed elaborately about their methods of procurement, household level treatment of water, leakage of water pipes, leakage of sewerage pipes in the vicinity of household, hygiene practices and incidences of water borne diseases. The report brings together information about drinking water sources, methods of collecting and storing water at household level, chances of water borne diseases, hygiene practices and overall awareness amongst people. People used conventional filters as well as advanced filters while the most common method for decontamination was reported as boiling. 20.83% reported leakage of water pipes and 17.5% reported leakage of sewerage. Furthermore, 21.66% were reported to have suffered from water borne diseases during last six months. Effective household treatment, safe storage and hygiene practices can provide significant protection against water borne diseases.

Keywords: Drinking water, health, hygiene, water borne diseases.