Page 49 - Mann ki Baat (English)

Telangana’s Mudigunta: A
Community Approach to Water
and Sanitation
In Muhigunta village of
Jaipur mandal in Telangana’s
Mancherial district, water
conservation efforts have been
closely linked with improving
sanitation. The village adopted
a community-driven approach,
where households collectively
implemented simple yet effective
measures to manage wastewater
and prevent water stagnation by
creating small soak pits attached
with the houses. All 400 houses in
the village have these structures
installed. Ravi Kumar, Sarpanch of
the village informs,”Earlier, due to
water logging on the roads, there
was a sanitisation problem in
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our village. Diseases like Malaria
and Typhoid were spread in the
village. It all went away after
the construction of soak pits.
We conducted an awareness
program in the village, as a
result of which all 400 families
created soak pits. Groundwater
level has also risen. Before the
construction of soak pits, while
digging borewells, water used to
come on 70-80 feet, now water
comes on 30-40 feet. Thanks to
all the officers and villagers.”
Jan Bhagidari: The Real
Force Behind Change
While government schemes
provide direction and support,
the real momentum comes
from people’s participation.
Jan Bhagidari has transformed
water conservation from a top-
down programme into a shared
responsibility. Whether it is
contributing labour, spreading
awareness, or adopting
sustainable practices, citizens are
at the centre of this movement.
This collective effort is also
fostering a sense of ownership.
When communities take charge
of their water resources, the
outcomes are more durable and
highly transformative.