Quench This Village’s Thirst For Water: Jaljeevan Mission

About the Organization:
Sakal has been leading various social initiatives for decades, addressing needs across the country. We see the media's role today as that of a facilitator of social change, not just an advocate of social causes. With a strong belief in social impact and change, Sakal has now launched its crowdfunding platform, Social For Action.

This digital platform brings together social service organizations and patrons to support various causes and create positive change in society. The success of this initiative demonstrates the power of technology to drive social change and improve lives. Join us in making a difference and visit Social for Action today.

Issue:
While it may be hard to believe, just 70 kilometres away from Pune city, villagers are still struggling to drink water. Villagers in Chandwane-Bhope (Waghamachi Wadi) are painstakingly having to carry pipes on their heads to fetch water from the well. Despite receiving sufficient rainfall, the absence of a pipeline forces women and schoolgirls to walk one to two kilometres to collect water for their families and animals come Summer and Winter.

A similar problem has also taken over Waghamachi wadi, families have been affected by the same problem. Twenty to twenty-five families from the Dhangar community call this remote area their home, relying on agriculture and livestock to make ends meet. However, come summer, the community faces a dire shortage of drinking water. Despite the presence of a well, there is no tap water supply system in place, leaving the women of the village to embark on a dangerous one to one and a half-kilometre trek in search of water. Seventy-year-old Dhondiba Kondiba Kachare laments that the installation of a solar or electric pump could spare these women from this life-threatening exercise.

Action:
The remote western tribal areas of Ambegaon taluka in Pune district face severe water scarcity every summer. As the water storage in the dam decreases, the small dams, reservoirs and ponds in the area dry up, leaving the villagers with no option but to walk for two to three kilometres to fetch water mixed with silt from the bottom of the water table. The consumption of muddy water poses significant health risks to the villagers. To address this issue, the deepening of water bodies, ponds, and wells in the area is essential to increase the water storage capacity.

The installation of solar pumps on deep wells and water bodies would ensure that the villagers have access to drinking water throughout the year, thus ending their struggle for water in the summer.

Impact :
The drinking water crisis faced by the residents of Vegre-Mandvakhadak village in the remote area of Mulshi taluka of Pune district has been addressed by 'Sakal' through its 'Social for Action' campaign. The media group has taken up the task of laying aqueducts from the water tank on the hill to the village, which will now provide 24-hour water supply to the villagers, ending the struggle for water.

Sakal has recognized the need to support the community-building projects in other areas as well and is appealing for collective support and funding for the construction of waterways at Mandvakhadak and other such projects. Information about the waterway project at Vegre-Mandavkhadak and other initiatives will be available on Sakal Media Group's digital crowdfunding platform 'Social for Action'.

Primary Cause :
Water crisis in rural areas.

Project Location(s):
Pune