National: Did you know that despite running the world’s largest community led groundwater management programme, Atal Bhujal Yojana, only half of our population (roughly 51%) has access to safe drinking water. However, the water stressed rural belt of Ranikhet and Almora, have successfully been able to find a solution to this problem with Amrutdhara initiative run by Tata Motors in collaboration with its NGO SMDF (Sumant Moolgaokar Development Foundation). The project has facilitated availability of portable drinking water to over 23,000 people in the past 13 years.
Tata Motors, through its NGO, (SMDF) is spearheading this community centric initiative christened as the Amrutdhara program. The organisation helped established a robust network of 146 infiltration wells in the hilly terrain of Uttarakhand over the past 13 years. These wells, supported by the Gram Panchayat, have become a lifeline for the villagers, delivering 10.24 lakh litres of safe drinking water daily to over 3,654 households in the last decade. In addition to this sustainable approach towards utilising natural resources to draw water, rooftop rainwater harvesting systems have been installed across 11 Government schools too wherein 2200 students and teachers have access to clean water.
Highlighting the impact of the Amrutdhara programme, Vinod Kulkarni, CSR Head, Tata Motors, said, “Access to clean drinking water is still a farfetched dream for many. While there are many initiatives taken by the Government bodies to provide access, the impact of participatory projects is sustainable as well as more successful around the world. In Uttarakhand, Tata Motors has been a driving force behind water access which has had a cascading effect in freeing up time for women’s empowerment and boosting girls’ enrolment in rural schools. We take pride in the strides made in Uttarakhand and remain dedicated to expanding our efforts to create sustainable and positive change.”
