Page 37 - Tata-Trusts-Annual-Report-2022-23
P. 37
Water at the doorstep –
Now a reality in Nagaland
EMPOWERMENT
‘Har Ghar Jal’ comes to life.
In rural India, millions of girls and women are known to walk e ective operation and maintenance of water supply systems
miles to fetch more than 10 litres of water for their daily in a sustainable manner. The organisation encourages
domestic needs. This arduous task is relegated to the women community members to play an active role after the
in the house and requires significant physical e ort and time. installation of water supply systems in
In Nagaland, the Government of India’s Jal Jeevan Mission the village.
and Tata Trusts’ associate organisation North East Initiative
Development Agency (NEIDA) worked together to change Khurenshe, a member of the Water and Sanitation (WATSAN)
the lives of the community. Committee mentions, “Earlier, the meetings used to be of no
use. But now all members, including women,
Tsasushi (78) and her husband Ahose attend the meeting and engage in planning,
(84) live in the quaint village of implementation and monitoring related to
Vongva in Nagaland. Perched on water and sanitation. With training imparted
the hilltop and inhabited by the by NEIDA on the roles and responsibilities
Yimchunger Tribe, Tsasushi and of the committees—WATSAN, water
Ahose now live a joyful life. But it conservation and water quality, the
wasn’t so up until a few months ago. importance of women’s participation, etc.
The responsibility of fetching water We have been collectively working with the
rested on Tsasushi. She found it Village Council to ensure that our
extremely di cult to scale the steep community people have access to
slopes every day with vessels carrying functional household taps.”
nearly 15-20 litres of water. This left her
exhausted especially due to her age The Village Council Chairman Yesukiu said
and health. that “Households contributed a minimum
of 5% as community contribution either in
NEIDA’s intervention in her village, kind (locally available resources such as
where it executed the government’s Jal bamboo, boulders, food, etc.) or in the
Jeevan Mission and facilitated in form of labour. Moreover, a nominal
creation of a water supply system from amount of `20 as a water service fee
a nearby spring, helped bring water was also paid by each and every
right outside Tsasushi’s home. Her household; besides, all the villagers
happiness knew no bounds. No more participated to ensure Har Ghar Jal.”
climbing steep slopes and getting tired
from walking for miles after toiling for the whole day in the With access to water closer to home, the villagers of Vongva
fields. “My dream of getting water at my doorstep is finally are jubilant, including Tsasushi and Ahose.
fulfilled through the Jal Jeevan Mission. It was tiresome
walking on the steep slope after a long day working in the
fields, especially when my legs were not strong anymore.”
NEIDA strengthens the Village Water and Sanitation
Committee to plan, execute and maintain the water supply
systems built under Jal Jeevan Mission. It develops robust
community-led institutional mechanisms to ensure the
ANNUAL REPORT 2022-23 30