WOW! speaks to a foundation that works assiduously to improve access to water Author
While for many of us, access to quality water is just a tap away. For most, however, getting clean water is still a dream. It is little wonder that even at a time when we launch satellites into space, accessibility to safe drinking water is still a major health concern. Entrepreneur Ravi Reddy understood this challenge well. Hailing from the Nalgonda district of Telangana where Fluorosis (a condition where the skeletal system is compromised) and other diseases were rampant due to bad quality of water. He wanted to create a solution to the problems people faced there. After moving to the US, he wanted to work on the health issues plaguing his hometown due to water issues and in 2009 started Community Pure Water along with Bokka Reddy.
The foundation began by establishing one water purification center plant which works 24 x 7 and where people can buy water for 25 paisa a liter. Today, the movement has snowballed with over 500 villages and schools across six states (including Hyderabad) where clean water is available, accessible and affordable to all. Ravi explains, “This simple intervention has a profound ripple effect.
While the health of the populace has improved, the burden of fetching water was always on women and girls. Through our intervention they now have a better quality of life and fewer cases of young girls dropping out from schools as they no longer have to help out with fetching water or tending to the sick. It has a holistic effect that helps in lowering medical expenditure of families.” The foundation works with village panchayats and has entered into a ten- year agreement to build and maintain the water purification centers.
They also train operators to ensure efficient functioning. The water undergoes five stages of filtration (in accordance with water quality standards) making it safe for drinking, eliminating both chemical and biological pollutants. The challenges the founders face are many. From junking unscientific beliefs that treated water is unhealthy to maintaining the centers efficiently, they have crossed many barriers in their endeavor to help people. Ravi shares with a smile, “There is never a plant down for more than 24 hours and we have a stockpile of all equipment and tools handy. There is one technical resource for 20 villages and we have a call center that moves quickly in case of issues due to repairs and maintenance.” Today, the founders are looking to raise funds so that they can further scale their activities given the stupendous need for interventions at the grassroots level. They aim to actualize change, one purification center at a time. After all, it takes a village to raise a child!
Those interested can save the following details. Contact: [email protected] Tel: 97695 61620
