AHMEDABAD: In the arid and semi-arid landscape of Gujarat, access to potable water and that for utility is a key challenge in various villages and more so with the upcoming summer.
Bringing the needed change, a women-led self-help group (SHG) based in Alidhra village of Sutrapada taluka of Gir Somnath district implemented the drinking water scheme under the National Rural Drinking Water Programme (NRDWP).
The initiative was supported by GHCL Foundation, the CSR arm of inorganic chemicals major, GHCL.
“Direct tap water connectivity for drinking water and that for domestic use was a challenge in the village. Any water problem will directly affect the lives of women,” said NN Radia, president & COO (Soda Ash), GHCL.
To address the issue and to understand the problem, representatives of the foundation held a meeting with the village women.
Even though they were reluctant initially, the encouragement from the Sarpanch, Harshaben, eventually helped GHCL to implement the scheme in the village.
“Women of the village came together to form the Mahila Pani Samiti and collected funds worth 10% of the total project cost and supervised and handled all the operations of laying the pipeline network,” added Radia.
Once the tap water connections were in place, the women were also engaged in a project of building toilets to make the village open-defecation free (ODF).
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