MINUTES OF THE WORKSHOP ON RIVER HEALTH INDEX (RHI)

Date: 16 July 2009
Time: 10:00 AM to 05:00 PM
Venue: Indian Social Institute, Lodi Road, New Delhi

Purpose of the Workshop:

The key purpose of the workshop was to facilitate a discussion amongst the participants, so that:

a) The project, its objectives and its methodology is understood by all those present
b) There is greater familiarization with one another amongst the members of the Core Planning Team (at Delhi) and the members of the Field Level partner Organisations (FLO) based at Dehradun, Delhi, Agra, Gwalior and at Allahabad
c) The Operational Guidelines (in English and in Hindi) prepared by the project executant agency viz., PEACE Institute to help / guide the FLOs in their field work is understood by all, so that there is a consistency of approach and action in the field all along the length of the river

Report:

At the outset after formal introductions, MM on behalf of the organizing agency (PEACE) of the workshop, thanked all those present, for finding time and making it convenient to attend the one day workshop.

The workshop as per the program for the day (circulated in advance) began with few introductory presentations as under:

What are the elements of a Healthy River, by Manoj Misra (presentation is enclosed)
Introductory remarks by Sri Pushp Jain, member Core Planning Team
Presentation by Bhim on his outreach efforts to safeguard the Nizamuddin Bridge over the river. (Presentation enclosed).
Introductory remarks by Sri BMS Rathore explaining the technique of eliciting the people’s definition of the health of their river, giving an example from his own experience of similar defining by the people of the health of their forests.
In the afternoon, MM introduced the RHI project to all including what is a GRID; What is Task Team (Yamuna Mitra Mandali); Why it is important that we facilitate local people’s understanding to over ride our own knowledge and solutions to the problems facing the river etc] and responded to the participant’s queries regarding the project.
Later, participants from FLOs were requested to share their field experience till date. Sri Mittal from Environics Trust (Dehradun), Sri Bhim and Sri Jain from PEACE, Pandit Misra ji and Sri Ravi Singh ji from Agra, Sri Sitaram Taigor (PEACE) from Gwalior, and Sri Manoj Srivastava from Allahabd shared their experiences from the field.
Sri Prabhjot Sodhi, National Coordinator, UNDP-GEF project, shared his experiences of working in the field for over last two decades and the fact that the local people indeed know the best and that to document that leading to tangible actions should be our key objective in the project.
Finally MM, read out the salient features of the Operational Guidelines document and responded to queries from the participants. The document was found to be clear and useful by all the participants.

Following next steps were agreed:

a) The FLOs to identify and enumerate circular GRIDS of 2 Km radius at the identified sites in their area. A rectangular GRID to be enumerated in the Hill regions of Uttaranchal.
b) All villages falling within the GRID to be located on a map and visited by the FLO executives. In case no village falls within the 2 km radius, then the nearest village can be included.
c) FLO executives to develop good working relation with local people in villages falling within the GRID and as a first step the local people’s understanding and definition (key elements) of a Healthy river to be enumerated. Through FGD (Focussed Group Discussion) technique the villagers to be encouraged to grade the various health elements (as identified by them) of the river as existing now in their area onto a scale of 0 -10 (as per their prioritization) and then reasons for such grading by them to be listed. Later the key players responsible for such state or those who can play a key role in improving the the state of the river to be enumerated. IT MAY BE REMEMBERED THAT THIS PROCESS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO SPREAD OVER NUMBER OF VISITS SO THAT ALL ELEMENTS THAT CONSTITUTE THE RIVER HEALTH ARE COVERED AND LISTED WITH GOOD CONSENSUS AMONGST THE PEOPLE. It was agreed that the FLO executives would try and get the local village level (within GRID) water supplies (government or private) tested for quality status (as a useful sample data as also being part of confidence building and educational measure for the local people) using the services of either some local laboratory or the facilities of local colleges or government (CWC) or NEERI regional centre facilities. (NB: Sri Pushp Jain may be contacted for advice in the matter by the FLOs).
d) During the process of interactions in the villages, a select group of interested and enthusiastic representative local shall be located to be encouraged to group themselves into the local Task Team (Yamuna Mitra Mandali). While ideally there may be one Mandali per GRID, but in case it is found that it is more convenient to have one mandali on either side of the bank of the river then two Mandali per GRID could be encouraged to be formed.
e) It shall then be the role of the YMM (Yamuna Mitra Mandali) to collect village information on the parameters as given in the Operational Guidelines Document (Annex ).
f) Once we have completed the tasks as listed in c) and e) above, then the FLO executives shall prepare the Local level Action Plan (LAP) on the lines of the format provided in the Operational Guidelines Document.
g) It is estimated that this process shall be completed within 6 months time.

CAVEAT: It was agreed in the workshop that the FLO executive while interacting with the villagers in the GRID shall refrain from either suggesting or imposing his / her ideas or solutions in the matter. The success of this exercise is only possible when the local people’s own views are given primacy and they are encouraged to express themselves in full free and frank manner.


List of participants

S.No.
Name
Short Name
Organization
Grid
1 Manoj Mirsa MM Peace Institute Charitable Trust, Delhi - Coordinator of the Project
2 Dr. Brij Mohan Singh Rathore BMS, Winrock India, Delhi - Advisor of the Project
3 Sri. Pushp Jain PJ Nature and People, Delhi
4 Sudha Mohan, SM Peace Institute Charitable Trust, Delhi
5 Bhim B Peace Institute Charitable Trust, Delhi
6 Sri Ravi Mittal RM Environics Trust, , Himalayan Stretch
7 Himanshu Upadhyay, HU Environics Trust, Delhi, Himalayan Stretch
8 Ashwini Kumar Mirsha MVS Guru Vasisht Manav Sarvangin Vikas Sewa Samithi, Agra
9 Sanjay Kumar Mishra SK Guru Vasisht Manav Sarvangin Vikas Sewa Samithi, Agra
10 Ravi Singh RS Agra
11 Bahadur Singh BS President, Panchayat, Agra
12 Sitaram Taigore ST Peace Institute Charitable Trust, Ettawah
13 Manoj Shrivastava MS Easy Global Organisation, Allahabad
14 Sanjay Shrivastava Easy Global Organisation, Allahabad
15 Prabjot Sodhi PS UNDP-GEF National Coordinator