Hydraulic ram pumps and Sling Pumps

Appendix: Advocacy Papers - IRC International Water and Sanitation CentreSurvey Identifies PerceptionGapThe Indian Market ResearchBureau surveyed 7,900 waterusers and talked to thoseimplementing a safe waterprogramme. Four out of five hadaccess to a handpump, but only athird used it as their main supply.Some pumps were too far fromhome. Users judged pump waterby look, smell and taste, andsometime chose polluted waterinstead. A quarter believed theywould see germs in impure waterand fewer than one in fiveunderstood the link with diarrhoeaand cholera.Two thirds of women judgedwater by whether it 'cooked well',a concept alien to those planningand installing wells.Implementors underestimatedhow far communities were willingto contribute towards installationor maintenance of pumps.Understanding how thecommunity thinks is a keycommunication requirement andin India has led policy makers tochange their own thinking abouthow to plan and implement waterprogrammes.There is strong evidence inside and outside the sector thatcommunication brings results. The global effort to immunise childrenagainst common killer diseases is one of the most successfulcommunication efforts the world has ever seen. In many poor countriesimmunisation rates now rival those of the affluent west. The campaignhttp://www.irc.nl/page/6245 (3 of 10) [1/13/2005 12:47:34 PM]