Reliance Foundation quenches thirst of 100-plus Marathwada villages in just 23 days
RF has supplied over 20 million litres of water to 2 lakh drought-hit people
June 03, Mumbai: Reliance Foundation embarked on a mission to supply potable drinking water to the drought hit villages of Marathwada less than a month ago, after it identified 100 most distressed villages in four districts of Latur, Hingoli, Jalna and Nanded. In 23 days RF’s Mission Rahat – Marathwada, has reached out to more than 100 villages, providing two to four tankers of water per village per day. More than 300 daily sorties supplies approximately 11 litres of water per person per day. So far, more than 20 million litres of water have been supplied to 2 lakh people, deploying as many as 3,990 tankers in May – the hottest month of the year.
Marathwada region of Maharashtra is parched due to repeated failures of monsoons over the years resulting in depletion of water tables, and over-exploitation of ground water, which has crippled the region’s economy.
For the past four years, RF, through its flagship Rural Transformation programme, has been working to provide a long-term sustainable solution to Marathwada’s water woes. However the need of the hour was to provide relief to these villages where drinking water was not available.
A team from the Foundation, in collaboration with government agencies, identified 100 most distressed villages in the four Marathwada districts. Within days, the RF team identified sources of water and started delivering drinking water to over 50,000 families. An efficient supply system, put in place by RF, has ensured equitable and safe distribution of water to the villages. “Water was very scarce and we had to travel far to fetch it. Now, Reliance Foundation is providing us water free of cost. We are thankful to RF for this timely help,” says Vijay Murlidhar Kadam, hailing from Bharamankheda in Jalna district.
P M Ambulage, a gram-sevika from Kharpudi, Jalna, says, “We were facing acute water scarcity. The village sarpanch asked me to seek the Panchayat Samiti’s help. Mr Pagare of the Panchayat Samiti told me that RF has been providing free water to water-scarce villages. He said that an RF team will survey our village, and if the need is real, will provide immediate relief. “I gathered women from my village and went to meet the local RF team. The team surveyed our village and were convinced of our plight. Today, we have tankers supplying water to our village. I am thankful to Reliance Foundation for rescuing us.”
