India CSR News Network
BIDADI: Toyota Kirloskar Motor recently announced the inauguration of its 10th Community based Water Purification Unit in Bidadi at Bychohalli as a continuation to the efforts of providing safe drinking water to the villages in Bidadi. With this, Toyota Kirloskar Motor has installed a total of 12 units at Byramangala, Ramanahalli, Bidadi, Manchanayakana halli, and Harohalli Grama Panchayats and one each in Varanasi and Vaishali to cater to the drinking water requirement of villages in Bidadi.
All the water purification units have a 1000 liter per hour capacity accompanied with a minimum 6-stage purification system has been benefitting over 96,000 villagers, covering 111 villages across India. Water analysis study conducted by Government authorized agencies had alarming revelations indicating that the TDS (Total Dissolved Solids) level of the water used for day-to-day activities are way above the normal limit of 500. Similarly the calcium and magnesium levels in these waters were also found to be above the desired limit.
This high level of contaminated water undergoes six step filtration processes with reverse osmosis technology and UV rays in the Water Purification Units established by Toyota Kirloskar Motor to deliver IS10500 standard potable water. Furthermore, TKM has also signed an agreement with Prajwala Karnataka Social Welfare Trust, a local non-profit that will maintain the unit for a period of 15 years. The NGO will carry out the day to day operations of the unit and comply with the IS10500 water standard. The users will be charged a nominal fee of Rs. 5/- for 20 liters of purified water, thus creating a sustainable model.
The inauguration ceremony witnessed the presence of H. Balakrishna, MLA Magadi, Sunanda Venkatesh President MN halli Grama panchayat, Mr. Shiva Kumar PDO MN halli Grama Panchayat and Mr. Akito Tachibana, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor.
Commenting on the occasion Mr. Akito Tachibana Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said “Wherever we do business, it is our endeavor to strengthen the community we exist in. Our aim is to enrich the society with our CSR initiatives understanding and catering to the critical needs of the neighboring community. Water is one of the core essential and basic necessities. The increasing pollution level of the Byramangala lake and high contamination of the underwater, created serious threat to the access to safe and pure drinking water resulting in a high occurrence of skin diseases, arthritis, cholera, dysentery, diarrhea, etc.
As a good corporate citizen, ensuring the health, safety and hygiene of the neighboring villages through our CSR initiatives is of utmost importance to us. With the establishment of the water purification units, there has been a drastic reduction in the water borne diseases in these areas”.
“As a part of planning for the sustainable CSR program, we conduct need assessment study as a regular process building consensus with local community, involving all stakeholders and continuously monitoring the sustenance model established in the community.”
TKM believes that education is the most powerful weapon that will change the world. In line with this philosophy, TKM has been consistently contributing towards reconstructing and renovating government schools in the Bidadi region. Further to the emphasis on importance of quality education infrastructure, The day also marked a ground breaking ceremony of construction of government school at Thalaguppe village in the presence of MLA H. Balakrishna, MLA, Magadi and local Gram Panchayat President Sunanda Venkatesh.
As a responsible corporate citizen, Toyota Kirloskar Motor is constantly working towards the development of people, communities, and the earth at large. The company’s efforts over the years include rebuilding a local residential school, construction of water tanks in rural Bangalore that benefitting Ramanagara people; setting up water purification units across the country which is benefitting over 96000 people; construction of more than 500 toilets for households in villages around Bidadi, awareness on environmental conservation for local schools; distribution of school materials like bags, books, computers, and chairs to under-privileged student.
In addition, TKM has also pledged its support to the ‘Swachh Bharat campaign’. In the wake of the growing concerns around insufficient sanitation facilities in government schools and lack of adequate toilet training among school children, Recognizing the need for a new approach, TKM initiated the ABCD project with a focus on bringing in a behavioral change, The Project ABCD (A Behavioral Change Demonstration) not only aims at achieving 100% school sanitation by increasing awareness, it also promoters dignity and privacy for the girl child by upgrading existing unhygienic school toilets to usable condition as well as to promote learning and retention among school children, teachers as well as the community members.
Additionally, the company constructed more than 600 units of girl child sanitation facilities in Varanasi, Vaishali and Ramanagara. Overall through its CSR projects TKM has touched over 9, 50,000 lives.
