WHAT IS THE PROBLEM?
Yadgir, Karnataka is a district that was formed in December 2009. Formerly, a part of Gulbarga district, Yadgir is currently listed as one of the most backward districts in the state based on socio-economic indicators. It is a drought prone area. Decades of neglect have ensured that the district has no industrial growth, which has affected the job opportunities in the area. This lack of work has led to high migration to bigger cities in the hunt for a livelihood. The rate of education also is low in the region.
As per the Central Groundwater Board (Report published in February-2014); Yadgir district has high fluoride and nitrate contamination in the ground water which is not potable for human consumption. With low and erratic rainfall and non-potable ground water situation, the rural community have to rely on alternate sources for meeting their drinking water needs.
Yadgir once held the status of having many water ponds, but today most of the water ponds are evaporating and non-existent. The Krishna and Bheema Rivers passes through Yadgir, but very few villages are irrigated. They have started cultivating “Paddy” which is not a viable crop for region like Yadgir. Over a period of time the soil may lose its fertility and the land may not be viable for any other cultivation. Farmers have started using more pesticides recently, which has also increased the chemical contamination in underground water. There is no proper sanitation (only 11% of the households have toilets) in the communities and hence most of people practice open defecation leading to various water borne diseases in the region.
WHAT WE DO
Under WATSAN program, Kalike has been supporting schools with hardware and software facilities for initiating rain water harvest systems for storing water. Utilisation of Ultra Violet drums for drinking water and constructing/repair of functional toilets (separate for boys and girls). Producing a healthy school environment, to develop and support safe hygiene behaviours. Till date, Kalike has provided access to drinking water and sanitation facilities in 20 selected schools from Yadgir block. Next, Kalike plans to scale the WATSAN program in Government Primary Higher School, Chintagunta.
*Filteration system used to purify rain water
CORE ACTIVITIES
- Construction of Rain Water Harvest tanks (with a capacity of 17,000 – 20,000L)
- Installation of UV drums for drinking water
- Construction of Sanitation (Urinal for Boys & Girls) and Handwashing platforms
- Various other activities will be implemented which will encourage to maintain hygienic environment in the school as well as which will bring long term change in the students (Children Health Committee, Health Camps, Regular monitoring, Water Quality Testing, etc.).
*Children using UV filtration water tanks to purify the water
DETAILS OF THE SCHOOL:
School Name: Government Primary Higher School, Chintagunta
Location: Chintagunta is a village located under Motanalli Gram Panchayat in Yadgir block with distance of 22kms from Gurmitkal and 38kms from Yadgir Urban.
Number of kids life impacted: Boys - 135. Girls - 145
Number of teachers/officials: 7
*Kids using harvested rain water to clean their plates after Mid-day meals
WHAT WE NEED
EXPECTED RESULTS
- Increase in access to safe drinking water, toilets and hygienic environment in school.
- Increased personal hygiene practices among children.
WHO ARE WE
‘Kalike’, an associate organization of TATA Trusts was formed in June 2012, to work as a nodal agency for implementing Kalike Samruddhi Upakram (KSU) initiative. Interventions under KSU have been carried out directly by the Kalike team based in Yadgir; besides, interventions have also been facilitated in partnerships with select non-profit organizations. Kalike plays a critical role in providing monitoring services and technical support to Trusts partners. We incubate new innovations/strategies and also act as a knowledge hub and work towards scaling up programs for long-term impact on the quality of life. We do this through education, livelihood, health, water and sanitation and skill development in Yadgir district through partnership with the state governments and other NGOs/Institutions.
*Children using the purified rain water for drinking
OUR GOAL
- To provide safe drinking water and improve health by reducing water borne diseases in the catchment area.
- To rid the society of open defecation and create a hygienic environment in rural areas of Yadgir block.
