Study of water supply & sanitation practices in India using geographic information systems: some design & other considerations in a village setting.

Background & Objective: Availability of clean water and adequate sanitation facilities are of prime importance for limiting diarrhoeal diseases. We examined the water and sanitation facilities of a village in southern India using geographic information system (GIS) tools.

Methods: Places of residence, water storage and distribution, sewage and places where people in the village defaecated were mapped and drinking water sources were tested for microbial contamination in Nelvoy village, Vellore district, Tamil Nadu.

Water handling, sanitation and defecation practices in rural southern India: a knowledge, attitudes and practices study.

Diarrhoea and water-borne diseases are leading causes of mortality in developing countries. To understand the socio-cultural factors impacting on water safety, we documented knowledge, attitudes and practices of water handling and usage, sanitation and defecation in rural Tamilnadu, India, using questionnaires and focus group discussions, in a village divided into an upper caste Main village and a lower caste Harijan colony. Our survey showed that all households stored drinking water in wide-mouthed containers.