Page 42 - Annual Report

From remote

hamlet to a
wellspring of hope Battisa River is the major barrier which disconnects habitation from the main road

Solanki Fali is one of 13 habitations of Nichlagarh Hydro-geological studies and Vertical Electricity refused to allow pipes to be laid through their
village, 22 kilometres from Abu Road Block of Sirohi Sounding Test were conducted in the village to land…I thought of setting an example, I allowed the
district, Rajasthan. Surrounded by the Aravalli assess the yield of the proposed water source. CmF pipes to pass through my own land.” Soon, others
mountains along Battisa river, this little hamlet with team recalls, “The biggest challenge was to bring agreed too.
48 houses is inhabited by the Garasiya tribal the borewell drilling vehicle to the site, as there was At last, the project was completed in June 2020.
community, and due to its remote location, is cut off no road wide enough and there was also a river to Powered by 10 solar panels on top of the tank, water
from mainstream society. No roads, no drinking cross, along with 2 kms of farmland. So, for work to is pumped out of the borewell to fill the tank, and
water. The 2 hand-pumps in the area had dried up, start, the team had to wait for a time when the river then supplied to every home in the habitation
and women had to walk to another hand-pump would have less water and the farmland would be through 7 water stand-posts.
over a kilometre away to fetch water every day. free from standing crops.”
The success of their efforts has made the Solanki
But life in Solanki Fali was about to change. Meanwhile, the WUG members motivated the Fali community more development-oriented.
In 2018, the Centre for microFinance (CmF), an community to make a path for the borewell drilling CmF team shares with pride, “Today, they operate
associate organisation of the Tata Trusts, held a vehicle. With the help of a digging machine and and maintain the water supply scheme themselves,
community meeting in Nichlagarh village, attended their own tireless labours, they succeeded in for which the WUG members contribute `50 a
by the representatives of all 13 habitations. That’s creating a path. By that time, the water level in the month to the Water Fund. They even plan to get
where the representatives of Solanki Fali spoke of river had reduced and the farmland was free from involved in the groundwater recharge programme
their struggle for water and requested the project crops. to maintain the water level in their borewell.
team to visit the habitation. The borewell was dug successfully, yielding water. Moreover, the sanitation & hand-washing awareness
Soon after, the CmF team visited Solanki Fali and, The next major challenge was to construct the campaigns that we conducted have helped the
while walking through the rocky terrain, realised the water tank. community to adopt better hygiene practices. And
magnitude of the water crisis, and the challenge Basis the water table, the site selected for the every household is now constructing toilets, too.”
involved in solving it. But seeing the hope in the construction of the water tank was at an elevation, The path of progress that had a rocky start has now
eyes of the inhabitants, the team decided to do with a steep slope and no path by which to carry been paved, leading to a healthier, happier future
whatever it took to alleviate their suffering.
construction materials. Once more, the challenge for the people of Solanki Fali.
A Water User Group (WUG) was set up, comprising was overcome by the collective labour of the
members from 20 households that were close community, who toiled together to make a path
enough to access water pipelines. An executive leading up to the site. The construction material was 6 CLEAN WATER
committee of 15 was formed to oversee the water now accessible and laborers were able to work and AND SANITATION
supply scheme work. Each household contributed the water tank was finally constructed. PROJECT ALIGNS
to a Water Fund in a joint bank account, accounting Bhooma Ram, WUG President, narrates, “ There WITH SDG
for 10% of the total project cost, 90% of which was were still more hurdles to come in our way…..during
provided by CmF.
the pipeline installation, some of the farmers

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