6 Month Water Generation Update

Sawyer water purification kits provided to children and their families by Salt of the Earth donations.

Over the past 6 months, our Partners in India have been busy utilizing Salt of the Earth donations for water generation programs in the villages we support. Water provided to the rural poor villages of Tamil Nadu by Indian authorities is often unreliable and contaminated. During the rainy season water can be collected and stored, but during the summer taps become dry and lack of water poses as a serious threat.

With your donations, our Partners MASARD have built Bore wells to collect and store safe drinking water, provided homes with water purification kits, fixed plumbing connections and have began the construction of a reservoir. Here is a 6 month update of the projects taking place to ensure the rural poor of Southern India have access to clean drinking water.

Safe drinking water to Kamandoddi school children

Kamandoddi school is a rural school that teaches over 500 children from the villages your donations support. Before MASARD’s intervention, the school was facing water scarcity as the water supplied by local authorities was limited and found to be contaminated. In order to ensure a steady flow of water to the school, SOTE provided the facility with a 350 foot borewell, along with a motor to pump up the water and an overhead synthetic tank to store it. SOTE donations paid for the installment as well as the plumbing and electrical connections.

Now, there is a strong and steady source of purified water to the school, preventing dehydration and ill health. The staff and students of Kamandoddi school are thrilled with the new edition and thank Salt of the Earth supporters for their kindness and support.

Newly installed Bore well, providing the children and staff with clean, safe drinking water.

Water storage tank at Kamandoddi School, connected to newly fitted bore well and pump

New water tank and plumbing repairs to Theervethi village

Theervethi village is a very small rural village with only 150 families. The area is very dry and the bore well provided by Indian authorities was damaged. Families were having to walk over 3kms to the nearest source of water as the well was unusable.

MASARD recently used SOTE donations to repair the well and plumbing connections. A new synthetic water tank was also installed, to provide the families in the village with a regular source of water. One pipe was fitted for every five houses and a water committee consisting of 5 women was formed , to ensure the water is shared fairly among each household.

Damaged tank, before SOTE and MASARD intervention

Replacement Tank built with Salt of the Earth donations. The newly fitted pipes enable water for the village.

Construction of water reservoir in Ashagram, Tamil Nadu

Construction has began on a central reservoir for the villages MASARD supports. During the summer, borewells go dry and people have further problems with access to water. In the Nerpur village of Ashagam, MASARD have began digging a large pit, by blasting and removing rocks to act as a collection point of rain water. Salt of the Earth donations are funding the building of the reservoir as well as awareness programs teaching villagers about rain harvesting and conservation training

This is a large project that MASARD aim to complete by the end of August 2019. Once the project is completed, we hope it will act as a pilot model for other villages to replicate and continue the generation of water for the rural poor of Tamil Nadu. Below are photographs showing the last 6 months progress.

Outstanding fee left over by Indian authorities to complete plumbing connections, cleared by SOTE donations.

The village of Gopasandra was recently left disappointed as plumbing connections were not finished by Indian authorities. The facility was left uncompleted and water remained hard to reach. MASARD intervened and paid off the outstanding amount, paid for the labor and completed the project.

Photo of a purified drinking water plant, In another facility that Salt of the Earth donations support.

Providing access to safe drinking water in the rural villages of Tamil Nadu is something that Salt of the Earth has always been passionate about. Help us continue this vital work by donating to our cause.

Instead of buying a loved one chocolates this year, why not donate a water sawyer purification kit in their name. Your loved one or teacher will receive a certificate of donation and a family in India will have access to clean water. Read more about our ethical gifts here

Projects like these are changing lives. Your donations enable us to fund them.