title: Study of water supply & sanitation practices in India using geographic information systems: some design & other considerations in a village setting.
abstract: 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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Water in the village was found to be microbiologically unfit for consumption. Analysis using direct observations supplemented by GIS maps revealed poor planning, poor engineering design and lack of policing of the water distribution system causing possible contamination of drinking water from sewage at multiple sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Until appropriate engineering designs for water supply and sewage disposal to suit individual village needs are made available, point-of-use water disinfection methods could serve as an interim solution.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health, Christian Medical College, Vellore, India.
authors.forename: Srila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gopal
authors.forename: Rajiv
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: Kalyan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Banda
authors.forename: Jeyanthi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Govindarajan
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Harijan
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Jeyakumar
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mitta
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Sadanala
authors.forename: Tryphena
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Selwyn
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Suresh
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Pethuru
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Devadason
authors.forename: Ranjit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selvapandian
authors.forename: Gagandeep
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Vinohar
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Balraj
mesh_terms: D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods; D003672:Defecation; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005160:Facility Design and Construction; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006798:Housing; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D009017:Morbidity; D011634:Public Health; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012722:Sewage; D012923:Social Class; D018508:Water Purification / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards*; D014881:Water Supply / Q000592:standards*
chemical_list: D012722:Sewage