“Sankat Mochan” Sarvajal - Providing safe drinking water in times of crisis

Sarvajal safe drinking water facility at Shahbad Daulatpur providing an uninterrupted supply of safe drinking water in corona lockdown down situation is emerging as a reliable drinking water source.

In Delhi's slums, where water and space are scarce, COVID prevention measures like handwashing is indeed a luxury and practising social distancing is difficult. In such unpredictable times, Sarvajal safe drinking water facility for Shahbad Dairy slum dwellers stands out as a reliable, safe drinking water source, finds out Jay Raval, after interacting with Sarvajal consumers.

Getting water in Delhi's slums has been a challenge. The lockdown and summer season has left some fearing and unsure about the continuous supply of water, deepening the water crisis. 

In Shahbad Daulatpur slum, with an erratic supply of water, which is sometimes muddy and lack of servicing of domestic RO water purifiers, slum dwellers are switching to Sarvajal Drinking Water facility located in the slum. 

Sawan Kumar who made his Sarvajal card in the lockdown down period and has been taking 18 litres of water every day says “ Now nobody will come to repair my domestic purifier, it's better to take the filtered water from the plant”. Similar concerns are echoed by Mitin Kumar who shares “Domestic purifier is not working and I can not take risk of getting repairs by anyone”. After the lockdown, around 50 new cards have been created and 155 cardholders who haven’t taken water from the facility till date are taking water from the Sarvajal plant since the past 3 months.   

With increasing infection, the community does not want to take risk of taking water from a crowded place or falling sick by consuming unsafe water.

Sarvajal offers a safe space with COVID prevention measures like sanitising the ATM and social distancing. 

Vandana Devi, mother of two says, “Tankers does not come every day. If they come we need to stand in a long line and I can’t do that because crowds gather and there are chances of local transmission of coronavirus. At Sarvajal plant there is no such crowd”

Another Shahbad resident Kripa Shankar who has 5 members in the family says, “I was drinking supply water and the water is muddy, why I should make me and my family unwell when we have Sarvajal”.

DJB Shahbad Dairy April vs March volume jump is 41%, (March’20 average per day dispense-  6624 litres & April’20 average per day dispense is 9670 litres.  As compared to last April, 72% volume jump has been reported.

Sarvajal stands with everyone in these toughest times. The operator, the team,  the organization stands to ensure uninterrupted access to safe drinking water facility to underserved with corona safeguard measures at the plant premises. 

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Poem by Meenu Ratnani!

यह  जमबोरी है भई जमबोरी

इन्द्रधनुष जेसी रंगों से भरी,

कभी सीखा गयी, कभी हँसा गयी

कभी  रुला गयीl

हुई शुरुआत इसकी जब अनुज ने पूछा स्कोपिंग जमबोरी के बाद, कौन सी टीम करेगी अगली जमबोरी, उत्साह पूर्वक हाथ उठाया हमने

कहा कॉम टीम करेगी अगली जमबोरी।

पूछे गए अनेक सवाल और हर सवाल था बेमिसाल  बना पाँच दिन का कार्यक्रम ,

उदेश्य था मिल जुल कर जानने और

सीखने का, ताकि हर जन तक पहुंचे शुद्ध सर्वजल,

कॉम  की भूमिका पर जोर देने का,

कोशिश थी विभिन्न टीम के सदस्यों का बने समागम,

मिल कर कुछ करने  का रखते है दम। 

पहला गगन्तव्य था  जयपुर ,

जहा हमने pcds के बारे में जाना,

मशीन का चलना है जरुरी यह सबने माना, कम्मुनिटी का विश्ववास फिर बना,

आदित्य का नामुमकिन से मुमकिन,

दिलबरी की  उमग  और तरूण के

टैलेंट ने कर दिया  दंग, 

साइट और कस्टमर प्रोफाइल के

बिना नहीं चलेगा काम,

बेसलाइन और स्कोपिंग जानकारी के बिना नहीं रखना है फील्ड में कदम,

हम  नुक्कड़ नाटक और टॉक शो का रखते है दम।

अगला पड़ाव था गुजरात, 

जहा की निराली थी हर बात,

गाव् थे चार , वाटर ओफटाके न होने के कारण थे  हज़ार,

बेसलाइन का डाटा किया इस्तेमाल,  

सर्वजल के प्रचार , स्कूल ड्राइव, जल कथा और रैली से किया धमाल,

कम्युनिटी के प्रति, ऑपरेटर भाई 

अपनी जिम्मेदारी न देना टाल,

नहीं तो फिर उठजायेंगे सवाल।

तीसरा और आखिरी पड़ाव था भुवनेश्वर ,

लगाना था यहाँ कई गुना जोर क्योंकि पांच गुना पानी निकलने की उम्मीद थी भरपूर,

अर्बन, ऑपरेशन्स, आईटी, scm, मार्केटिंग, सेल्स और कॉम टीम का बनाया एक दस्ता,

ngos को साथ लेकर, लगा कर कैनोपी,

बजा कर सर्वजल जिंगल, कम्मुनिटी को किया जागरूक, बेहतर स्वास्थ्य, उम्दा क्वालिटी, वाजिब मूल्य का दिया वास्ता । 

चाहे हो बस्ती या हो सार्वजनिक स्थल, कम्युनिटी को साथ रखने, हुई bmc के साथ सुनवाई,

लोगो को जागरूक करना है कितना जरुरी यह बात उनको भी समझाई,

कार्ड हो एक्टिव, तो कर सकते है धाक के तीन पात।

अभी और बहुत कुछ करना और सीखना, उस को ले कर थी विचारो मैं गुम, तभी मेंरे 11 वर्षीय बेटे ने पूछा माँ कब है अगली जमबोरी।

                  

                                                                                                  ~ Meenu Ratnani

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Sarvajal Front-Line Workers

INDIA IS AT A CRITICAL STAGE IN ITS FIGHT AGAINST CORONAVIRUS AS FEARS OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSIONS RISE. DURING ITS LOCKDOWN FRONTLINE WORKERS OF OUR ORGANISATION ARE STILL GOING OUT EVERY DAY TO PROVIDE SAFE DRINKING WATER FACILITY TO CONSUMERS. 

 I SPOKE TO SAGAR PATIL WHO IS AN OPERATOR OF HDFC LIFE SUPPORTED LOCATION AT KUNDANE, MAHARASHTRA  FOLLOWING IS AN EXCERPT FROM THE CONVERSATION.

___________________________________________________________

Story by Jay Raval

Sagar Patil, aged 28 years has been working as the plant operator, since the plant was inaugurated. Young and energetic, Sagar who resides in the village is familiar with the village and community. He was part of behavior change communication led interventions in 2019, supporting the team in identifying the households in the and providing language support during the conduct of intervention.  

During my last visit at Kundane, he shared that he is constructing a new house in the village. In the starting of the conversation, he mentions that “Sir woh ghar ka bataya tha na, uske kaam meh tha aapke call ane se pehle” and curiously asks how is everything in Ahmedabad. 

Sarvajal Consumers are following social distancing while taking water from plant at Kundane

Then quickly he adds about the water situation, “Sir do you know in our village community members are much tensed and no one is going to take water from the Phata”. Phata is a place 3 km away from Kundane where most of the people bring drinking water available free from a govt pipeline (illegally broken). From where they are fetching water now? I asked. Sagar quickly responds “Sir, those who were going to take water from Phata, most of them are now taking water from the Sarvajal plant”. This is quite evident when one seems water offtake which has increased by 50% when compared with last month, dispensing 1000 litres per day. Sagar shares a concern “Demand for the cards have increased, and people have paid money in advance, but I don’t have any cards”.  As there is a shortage of new Sarvajal RFID cards, I suggest that you do a recharge of 1000 for 10 consumers in your card and start maintaining the dispense data of those 10 consumers in hard copy. He appreciates the suggestion and our conversation moves further. 

Sagar enthusiastically talks about the corona prevention steps he has taken for the Sarvajal safe drinking water facility. His resourcefulness in ensuring the continuous supply of water at the plant is evident when he says “Along with sanitising the ATM and the premises, I have cleaned the membrane with the help of one of my friends as no JFE can travel in this lockdown. I did not mind spending my own money to get the materials for the Sarvajal plant.

There was one spare tank, as there is a shortage of the water from gram panchayat I have started using that tank for storing the water”

Boys and men…young and experienced aged group of people maintaining, 

'दो गज की दूरी'

Sagar is well connected with the community and he is aware about consumers who are not taking water. He adds “I have requested those consumers who are not taking water to share their card with needy community members”. There is a sense of pride and belonging when he says “Sir humara pani ek baar pite hai toh aadat jaegi hi nai,  esa log bolne lag gae hai.”

Sagar spends major time of the day at Sarvajal plant, following the COVID safeguards, interacting with those who come to take water. Twice a day he starts the purification tank process and in free time for his entertainment watches movies. He understands the importance of providing safe drinking water in this difficult time. He tells that Gram Sevak (sarpanch) and influential members of the community are requesting others to take water from Sarvajal as there are very less chances to get a virus while taking the water. Women are vocal about telling other community members, especially when someone does not obey the social distancing at Sarvajal plant. He ends the conversation by telling, “With our initiatives, villagers are being made aware about safeguards against COVID-19”. Both I and front-line warrior disconnected the call with hope in our hearts and smiles on our faces.

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A healthy community is a happy community!

In the global pandemic, we all are fighting with the invisible enemy. 

The lockdown is being extended to control the situation however it is very challenging for many especially daily wage earners who are now running out of basic necessities to sustain their life.

In one of our locations Gowndarpallyam in Tamil Nadu where safe drinking water facility is blessed under Jal Jeevan initiative of Hinduja Foundation and Ashok Leyland. 

A village water committee has been set up and their prime responsibility is managing the plant operations so safe drinking water is provided to the community. They ensure water plant and ATM is regularly cleaned, sanitized and continue to serve safe water to the community. Our operator Mrs. Sabana is educating the users to follow hygiene practices such as handwashing, washing utensils before refilling and practise social distancing while queuing at the ATM. 

During these tough times, when moving out is not allowed, all the villagers are face problem in getting groceries and other basic stuff. Mr.Purushothaman, Mr. Venkatesh and Mr.Ramaamoothy who are a part of the VWC decided to come forward to provide necessities such as grocery, masks and other essential items to destitute women, elders and along with migrant people.

By now, they have already distributed necessary items to 240 households and continued to support to migrant people with all facilities. They also mobilised funds so basic and essential items can be provided regularly to the needy in the village.

Initially, 5 kg of rice were distributed to the households

The conditions of being panic and having stress are better now and they are getting support from the government now as shared by the VWC members.

The rigour of continuously doing every bit of it to provide relief and reduce panic during such difficult times is commendable. It is now the responsibility of all of us to join hands and overcome from this global situation together. 

As it says "we shall overcome ONE DAY" 

#letsbehopeful #staysafe

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