Borewell to quench the thirst -A Success Story of Community Empowerment
Before: In the vicinity of Motiwala (National) Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, a village tucked away in the undulating hills, there was an apparent feeling of longing for development of water resource. The village had struggled with high scarcity of drinking water during the dry season of summer. The villagers would travel a great distance to fetch a pot of water. The only lone hand pump is the source of water to the entire village. The hand pump was used to run throughout the night to quench the thirst of the villagers.
Intervention: An interaction with the villagers and the village administration revealed that they are planning to have a borewell dug and install a submersible electric pump to fulfill the need of the villagers. The UBA Cell of Motiwala (National) Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital after taking inputs from the village administration submitted a proposal for the borewell with the SEG on water resources management. The proposal was duly sanctioned and the funds released with which the institute has got the borewell dug and a submersible pump installed to draw water.
Support: Support has been received from the ground water survey department of Government of Maharashtra for the identification of the location for borewell drilling. The Geologist from the department of Ground water survey identified the location. borewell drilling was done on 16th June, 2023 and subsequently, a submersible pump was installed along with a storage tank of 3000 liters capacity.
Working Together: The heart of the transformation lay in the collaborative spirit of the villagers. From identification of the location for borewell, drilling and installation of submersible pump and water tank at each step, the cooperated with the faculties and students of the institute and stood as an example of the power of collective action. Youth, of the village became active participants in implementation of the project.
Challenges: However, the path to the successful installation of the borewell was not without obstacles. The SEG has sanctioned the project of borewell drilling and NCI released the funds. But the extended monsoon has played villainous role by delaying the identification of location for borewell drilling.
Learning and Growth: The faculties and students involved in the project have experienced and very closely observed the difficulties of the villagers in managing the water resources emphasizing the importance of water as a essential source of life preservation.
After: Today, the borewell installed with a submersible pump is extracting water from ground that can be stored in a water tank installed at the site, for the villagers to draw water. The borewell is catering to the need of about 50 to 75 households. The villagers are happy that they can quench their thirst during dry season of summer.
