Understanding Community Acceptance of a Water Purification Technology, Arsiron Nilogon, at Kuruabahi village in Golaghat District of Assam, India

This study delves into understanding of community perception and factors influencing community acceptance of Arsiron Nilogon, a low-cost rural technology for removal of toxic arsenic from drinking water, developed at Tezpur University, Assam, India. It has been gaining popularity especially in Assam and, also in some other states of India. It has been implemented at five habitations of Kuruabahi village, Golaghat district, Assam with a sponsorship of Numaligarh Refinery Limited. Using a descriptive design and total population sampling, data were collected from all 320 households through structured interviews, focusing on qualitative responses. Qualitative data was categorized into three core themes: welfarism and freebie culture, gender roles, and peer effects. Study revealed that 71.25 per cent of households trust and benefit from Arsiron Nilogon method for safe drinking water, whereas 28.75 per cent do not use it regularly despite knowing the risks of consuming As-contaminated groundwater. A significant portion of the community exhibits a welfare-oriented mindset, with 68.48 per cent perceiving the provision of filters and chemicals as an entitlement. Gender roles emerged as a critical factor, as 56.25 per cent women are actively managing filter operations but lack decision-making power over financial aspects, which remain male-dominated. According to the data, 30 per cent of women discuss the benefits of using Arsiron Nilogon during their selfhelp group meetings which indicates positive peer influence. These findings contribute to the development of a sustainability plan and help in understanding rural technology acceptance and offer actionable recommendations for enhancing impact of the rural technology.