Urban sanitation is a huge problem in Jharkhand and Bihar. The municipalities have not been very effective in managing this problem and cleanliness and waste disposal issues persist. NBJK first intervened in Ranchi in an attempt to use it as a model for how, with the support of the people, NGOs, and the government, a city is able to achieve a high level of cleanliness and sanitation. NBJK has since increased its scope to include other areas in Jharkhand and Bihar.
 

	Clean Jharkhand Program
	Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

Clean Jharkhand Program

In response to the need for a simple and participatory system to manage solid waste on a large scale, the Clean Jharkhand Program was established by NBJK. The Clean Jharkhand Program is one of the most innovative solid waste management programs implemented in the country. A door-to-door waste collection service is offered in the urban areas of Ranchi, Hazaribag, Dhanbad, Ramgarh, and Patna. This program has served a total of approximately 51,000 households. This service is also extended to hospitals, office buildings, government quarters, and commercial complexes.

 In Hazaribag, this program is providing quality services to the government hospital, as well as the offices and residential complexes of Damodar Valley Corporation. The user fees that are collected allow this program to be operationally sustainable. The revenue for this past year was Rs.8,224,800.
The Resource Recovery Division of the project takes the collected waste and recycles it into millboard and compost, which is then sold at a profit. The Vermin Compost Plant in the Chuttu village in the Ormanjhi block of Ranchi uses the non-paper waste that is collected as compost, producing more than 250 MT of fertilizer each year. This fertilizer is branded as “Lok Vermi Compost” and is sold to farmers through retail agents and shops in Ranchi and other surrounding areas. The Millboard Production Unit in the village of Chakla near Ranchi utilizes a cost-effective, modern technique to make 530 MT of millboard from paper waste each year. Millboard is a multipurpose product sold in the local market and is branded as green.
In addition to improved sanitation in urban areas, the Clean Jharkhand Program is providing wage employment for those responsible for collecting the waste. Roughly 500 people are currently employed under this program. Due to the success of the project, other municipalities have implemented similar garbage collecting programs.

Ashok Nagar is a posh neighborhood in Ranchi that comprises of 500 residential units. The Ashok Nagar Housing Cooperative Society, which manages the units, approached NBJK in 2006 and arranged for the Clean Jharkhand Program (CJP) to take care of the overall cleanliness of the area. CJP implemented doorstep waste collection, in addition to street sweeping and drain cleaning. The waste collected is brought to a transit point and sent to a disposal site in Jhiri. This waste management work has generated a livelihood for eight people. Satisfied with the professionalism and quality of the work, the Ashok Nagar Housing Cooperative Society has also asked the CJP to take over the task of fogging to control the mosquito and fly populations in the area. Ashok Nagar is now regarded as the cleanest area in Ranchi and the awareness of the residents has been significantly increased.

Those living in urban slum areas have less access to water, sanitation, and hygienic conditions. In an effort too address this issue, Water Aid India has been sponsoring NBJK’s integrated water, sanitation, and hygiene program in 20 urban slum areas in the Ranchi municipal area since 2005. The project aims to improve the overall sanitary conditions and civic amenities in these areas by providing safe drinking water, individual toilets, and by renovating community sanitary complexes. Awareness raising and advocacy are also vital components of the program. Since the implementation of this program,

 568 household toilets, 14 waste compost pits, and 452 soak pits have been constructed.1400 feet of drain has also been constructed and repaired and 5 community toilets have been renovated.

Nirmala Devi is a 53 year-old woman living in Rugrigara, an urban slum area of Ranchi. She is physically challenged and resides with her daughter and son-in-law. Nirmala struggles to walk and is unable to sit properly. Thus, using the toilet and bathing were very difficult tasks. Nirmala was eventually forced to resort to the use of plastic bags for defecation purposes. Some of the neighbors objected to this and would insult her. When the issue was raised at a meeting of a local slum development committee, sensitive members proposed a permanent solution. NBJK has provided Nirmala with a specially designed toilet, allowing her to restore and maintain her dignity.