India CSR Network
MUMBAI: Reinforcing its commitment to providing clean and safe drinking water, the Rotary Club of Bombay’s fourth Jal Jeevan Centre was inaugurated by Dr. Mukesh Batra, President Rotary Club and Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Dr Batra’s® Group of Companies and Mr. Suresh Goklaney, Vice-Chairman, Eureka Forbes.
The Jal Jeevan centre installed at Sathe Nagar in Govandi, Mumbai is under a global grant project of the Rotary Foundation in association with Rotary Club of Detroit and Eureka Forbes Institute of Environment.
Residents of the M-east ward of BMC which comprises of Mankhurd, Govandi, Shivaji Nagar and Deonar areas, lack basic amenities and the residential colonies mostly slums have unhygienic conditions with no proper sewage lines. Seven out of every 10 residents do not have piped water. Coupled with low literacy levels, the unemployment rate in the M-east ward is 52% and close to 49% households have to borrow money on high-interest rates mainly for health-related expenditure adding to their economic misery.
With the Jal Jeevan centre, the residents of Sathe Nagar will benefit by buying drinking water at a subsidized rate of at 50 paise per litre, in transparent plastic jars of twenty litres. The plant will be run by a Self Help Group of women who will also supervise the operations of the water filtration units and earn a monthly income using a social business model. Conceived by the Rotary Club of Bombay, the project is the brainchild of Past President Rotarian Sandip Agarwalla. In addition, the profits from the sale of water will be used for upliftment of the local community for purposes such as water and sanitation, as well as economic development, which are key thrust areas of Rotary.
Speaking at the inauguration, Dr. Mukesh Batra, President Rotary Club and Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Dr Batra’s® Group of Companiessaid, “The Rotary Club of Bombay’s Jal Jeevan Project was awarded a Global Grant last year by The Rotary Foundation for setting up clean and safe drinking water, on a sustainable basis, at slums in Mumbai.
The most unique aspect of this project is that it aims to create a sustainable social model that not only addresses the rising health problems in these communities, but it also provides an opportunity to generate a steady income for women in this locality.”
The Rotary Club of Bombay in association with its partners has undertaken several projects this year to provide safe drinking water. Earlier this month, the Rotary Club of Bombay installed four community water plants inside the JJ hospital campus with an outreach to over 700 students studying in the hostels. The most recent one being the free drinking water project benefiting 5000 students in 10 municipal schools in South Mumbai.
