Safer water for a cleaner countryside: Community sanitation projects in India
Access to safe, clean water can help families and communities thrive. That’s one of the key motivations behind two ongoing Clearford India projects – one in Poondi village, Tamil Nadu, and the other in Alwa village, Gujarat.
Both projects commenced in 2018 and involve the installation of Clearford One systems to treat sanitation wastewater for agricultural reuse by local farmers. The projects are being funded by corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs.
Poondi village project
• CSR funding partner: Cholamandalam Investment and Finance Co. Ltd. and the Voice Foundation (the Indian arm of Christian Children’s Fund of Canada)
• Phase 1 (38 houses) is approximately 50% complete
Alwa village project
• CSR funding partner: Larsen & Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering Ltd.
• Phase 1 (43 houses) is approximately 70% complete
The Poondi and Alwa projects are part of a national push to improve sanitation in India, where toilets and bathrooms are lacking in many rural areas. By putting in place sustainable sanitation infrastructure and making wastewater safe for reuse, the Clearford One systems will help to boost the quality of living for local villagers.
Gaining community support through consultation and educating local stakeholders on the benefits of the new systems has been a critical step. The success of these projects depends on taking the time to build trust and incorporate locals’ input, such as their preferred location for the water treatment plants.
As Phase 1 of each project is now nearing completion, we are already eagerly looking ahead to connecting more houses to the systems in Phase 2, pending negotiations with our respective CSR funding partners.
The Poondi and Alwa projects may represent only a drop in the bucket in the context of rural India, but every drop of safer water is progress towards a cleaner countryside.
