Drinking water for 24 villages of Thimmampalli GP

I. Resources accrued through your Support

Current endeavours have been possible due to the generosity of our supporters. We would like to thank our supporters who have generously contributed funds, time and efforts to improve the lives of people living in these villages by facilitating access to clean water. We have raised a cumulative contribution of $ 4595 since we joined the Global Giving Platform in December 2013 but we still have a long way to go in order to provide safe drinking water to all community members.

II. Impact and Reach of Water Distribution

In this quarter approx. 20,480 litres of potable water has been accessed by 496 households. During December the water was distributed across 9 villages and during January due to acute water shortage in the region water was distributed only in one village.

III. Challenges to operate the community water plant

Since January 15th, 2015 the community water plant has struggled because the ground water source to the plant has run dry due to lack of rainfall in the region. The Panchayat overcame this problem during August 2014 to January 2015 by using water from a private bore-well, i.e. purchasing water at Rs.10, 000/ (approx. $180) per month so that it can be purified at the water plant and then supplied. However, now these private bore wells have also run dry and there is acute water scarcity in the region. As a result, the community water plant has been non-operational since 15th January 2015.

IV. Initiatives undertaken to overcome challenges

Having a water source so that purified water can be supplied is essential, but the Gram Panchayat has been struggling with supplying water in the area.

The Gram Panchayat has sent letters to the Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), an elected representative and to the Public Welfare Committee (PWC). As a result, the PWC has recently dug a new bore well to supply water. The Gram Panchayat is working to draw water from this bore well into the water plant, with electrical and other work being completed by the end of February 2015. Subsequently, the new bore well would be connected to the water plant to purify the water to make it fit for drinking purpose.

V. Working with Farmer Clubs and Women SHGs

The team working on the water plant has also supported the formation of 22 women SHGs and 20 farmer clubs in the Thimmampali Gram Panchayat area. A total of 374 families are part of these groups.  The various groups are receiving support with entitlement facilitation, agricultural production planning, market linkages and management of common resources - farm ponds, bore wells, tractors etc. This comprehensive engagement with the local communities also allows families to understand and begin using clean drinking water from the water plant.

VI. Plan for next quarter

To organise community and stakeholder consultations on the water source for all the water needs in the Gram Panchayat as well as the water plant.

I)      Project Summary

Our project seeks to improve the quality of life of the people living in Chikkaballapur, by providing safe drinking water to 24 villages. In this region, people are plagued by high contents of fluoride in their water, where a majority of the villagers complain of many health problems affecting their daily lives. This project is especially beneficial due to the ideal of community ownership and the high respect of the partnership between the Gram Panchayat (local village government) and Swasti. 

II)     Resources Raised through your Support

Current endeavours could not have been made without the generosity of our supporters. We would like to thank our supporters who have generously contributed funds, time and efforts to improve the lives of people living in these villages by facilitating access to clean water. We have raised a cumulative contribution of $ 3010 since we joined the GlobalGiving Platform in December 2013 but we still have a long way to go in order to provide safe drinking water to all community members. 

III)    Impact and Reach of Water Distribution

a)     Potable water accessed by households

In this quarter approx. 53,000 litres of potable water has been accessed by 3000 households. Since our last report, we have been able to supply water to 10 villages out of the targeted 24 villages as during the harvesting season the local entrepreneur who usually transports the potable water required his tractor for harvesting his farms. This challenge points again to our fundraising goal of purchasing a permanent vehicle to transport water to the villages that are at a far distance from the community water plant.

b)     Potable water accessed by Schools

Potable water was also accessed by approx. 400 children from 3 Government run kindergartens and 2 primary schools on an everyday basis in the project area.

IV)   Formation of SHGs and Farmer Clubs

We were successful in facilitating the formation of 5 Self-help groups for women and 8 farmer clubs for men. The goal of forming Self Help Groups for women is to motivate them to enhance their incomes, acquire healthy lifestyle habits, and pursue govt. institutions to provide better facilities in their villages especially educational facilities. Similarly, the goal of forming farmer clubs is to enable them to act as collaterals  for loans availed from banks, meet  market and household food security needs by optimal production planning,  maintain common infrastructure - farm ponds, bore wells, tractors and other equipment which cannot be afforded by one farmer but can be owned by 20 farmers together and link them with the local government at panchayat level to access employment , watersheds and other agriculture development  schemes.  We would like to thank National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) for supporting the work with Farmer Clubs.

II)    Work with the Panchayat to overcome challenges

Since our last update, the community water plant met with a major challenge of drying up of bore well that supplied water to the community water plant due to lack of rainfall in the region. This problem was overcome by engaging the community members and the panchayat leaders to find a solution.

A meeting with Thimmampalli Gram Panchayat (local government body) was organized so that the Panchayat can decide to procure access to a private bore well in order to maintain the supply of  the unpalatable water for purification. The Panchayat agreed to pay the owner of a private bore-well Rs.10,000/ (approx. $180) on a monthly basis until the original bore well could be recharged. Since then the community water plant has been running smoothly.

Overcoming this challenge highlights a few things about the program: 

a)  The Panchayat clearly recognizes the importance of supplying clean and affordable water to its community members through the community water plant as they came forward to invest in solutions that ensure its effective functioning with minimal assistance from Swasti.

b)  In many cases across India, the drying up of a bore well would mean the end of the community water plant, but in Thimmampalli Panchayat area the community members value the clean water now and are working towards ensuring its continuous functioning. This reflects that health is viewed by the community as an important aspect of their lives which in turn echoes that Swasti’s efforts to spread awareness on health and hygiene issues has been effective throughout the community.

VI) Plans for Next Quarter:

a) Formation of more Self Help Groups and Farmers Clubs to cover the rest of the villages in the Thimmampalli      Panchayat would be undertaken.

b) A “road show” that promotes clean water awareness would be undertaken in association with Lower Primary Schools & High Schools.

c) Water supply would be extended to all villages through a consistent system of transport.