12 MORE JAL JEEVAN PROJECTS, IN VIDARBHA

Rotary Club of Bombay’s Water Resources Committee inaugurated the installation of seven RO plants, one UV plant and distributed a total of 879 gravity-based filters in four villages in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. These were done as part of the Jal Jeevan initiative which provides safe drinking water to villages which will benefit them and improve their economic condition.

Two teams from the Club comprising PP. Rtn. Sandip Agarwalla, Rtn. Vineet Suchanti, Rtn. Bimal Mehta and Rtn. Abhishek Saraf, along with a representative of Eureka Forbes, travelled to each of the villages to ensure that the plants are installed. These are expected to benefit over 12,000 adults and children by providing them a constant supply of safe and clean drinking water.

RO plants at seven villages – Mandwa, Shivani (Yavatmal), Zarandi (Akola), Shivangaon, Fattepur, Pimpalgaon Behani (Amravati), Khadka (Wardha) UV plant at one village – Wai (Wardha)

Gravity filters at four villages – Karanji, Tapona (Yavatmal), Wadgaon Patan (Akola), Gorala (Amravati)

This marks the completion of the first phase of the project encompassing a total of 42 villages which the Rotary Club of Bombay proposed to complete. The project envisaged a need assessment, testing of water at each of the villages, evaluation of the right equipment that would sustain in each location and, finally making sure that the plants are installed in appropriate sheds and training is provided to the villagers to operate and maintain the plants on an
ongoing basis.

In villages where the RO plant could not be installed due to infrastructure or nonavailability of consistent source
of electricity or raw water, gravity-based filters have been given to every household. A comprehensive maintenance
for a period of three years has also been provided for each of the plants.

The projects were done under a cooperation agreement and participation with Eureka Forbes along with ground-level assistance from the NGO AVGSS.