Potable water supply network of Nitte village mapped using GPS
MANGALURU: As a contingency measure to tackle the outbreak of water-borne diseases, Prof Mackwin D’Mello, HoD of public health, K S Hegde Medical Academy of Nitte (deemed to be university), along with a team of seven research scholars and panchayat officials, has mapped the drinking water distribution network of Nitte village in Udupi district.
The mapping with the help of e-Trex handheld device was conducted before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and a map has been submitted to the Nitte panchayat and Udupi district health and family welfare office.
Before taking up the mapping of the community water source, the team had mapped the boundary of Nitte village using GPS.
Prof Mackwin told TOI, “We wanted to map the drinking water supply network at the household level. We reached out to the pump operators and mapped 14 borewells and three overhead water tanks supplying water to nearly 4,000 households. Along with the pump operator, we walked over the pipelines laid 25 years ago. The accuracy depends on the knowledge of the pump operator.”
“We have marked the waypoints and public taps, and have coded each household. The total number of water sources has increased to 21 from 17. The three health sub-centres have also been mapped. The project was completed in two months. In case of the outbreak of a waterborne disease, it will be easy to identify the source of contamination and plug it. Mapping can also help in the study of water quality,” Prof Mackwin said.
The project has drawn inspiration from Dr John Snow, a pioneer in disease mapping. Prof Mackwin’s presentation on this project at a conference in Manipal received an award. The mapping will also help in the easy implementation of water-related projects. “In urban areas too, mapping is necessary, to track contamination and water pilferage,” said Prof Mackwin.
The mapping with the help of e-Trex handheld device was conducted before the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, and a map has been submitted to the Nitte panchayat and Udupi district health and family welfare office.
Before taking up the mapping of the community water source, the team had mapped the boundary of Nitte village using GPS.
Prof Mackwin told TOI, “We wanted to map the drinking water supply network at the household level. We reached out to the pump operators and mapped 14 borewells and three overhead water tanks supplying water to nearly 4,000 households. Along with the pump operator, we walked over the pipelines laid 25 years ago. The accuracy depends on the knowledge of the pump operator.”
“We have marked the waypoints and public taps, and have coded each household. The total number of water sources has increased to 21 from 17. The three health sub-centres have also been mapped. The project was completed in two months. In case of the outbreak of a waterborne disease, it will be easy to identify the source of contamination and plug it. Mapping can also help in the study of water quality,” Prof Mackwin said.
The project has drawn inspiration from Dr John Snow, a pioneer in disease mapping. Prof Mackwin’s presentation on this project at a conference in Manipal received an award. The mapping will also help in the easy implementation of water-related projects. “In urban areas too, mapping is necessary, to track contamination and water pilferage,” said Prof Mackwin.
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