OREANDA-NEWS. January 16, 2012. Tata Power’s wholly-owned subsidiary Coastal Gujarat Power (CGPL), has been relentlessly working towards community development through need assessment. In line with the motto of the organisation — to be the “Neighbour of Choice”, CGPL decided to install the required water refining plant at Tunda, a village adjacent to the CGPL plant in Mundra.

Being situated in the coastal region, Kutch district has issues of safe drinking water. Apart from the problem of scarcity of potable water, the water of this region is also infected with the viruses causing waterborne diseases. The TDS level in the water is also very high which the root cause for diseases like arthritis. Keeping this need in mind, making safe drinking water available to these villagers has been the key endeavour of CGPL.

In village Tunda, people were majorly using the groundwater for drinking purpose, which was not safe. The only source of safe drinking water was packaged water which is costly for everyday use. The community had approached CGPL for installation of a community RO plant.

A room was constructed near the existing overhead water tank for the installation of the RO plant with a capacity of 1,000 litres per hour. The RO plant intended to provide easier and a less expensive access to clean and safe drinking water to the community of Tunda village. After the completion of the installation and demonstration process, the Tunda village panchayat took the responsibility of managing and maintaining the RO plant. The management and supply is designed in such a manner that each and every family of the village can avail the drinking water facility. To oversee seamless distribution of safe drinking water, the panchayat has nominated an individual to oversee the process, the concerned individual will also oversee the logistics of providing safe drinking water free of cost to those who cannot afford the same. A nominal service charge at the rate of Rs5 is levied by the panchayat for the maintenance of the plant. This unique collaborating arrangement between the respective panchayat and the company has sharpened the good and cordial relations between the panchayat and the company further.

Commenting on this occasion, Mr Kirtibhai, sarpanch, Tunda-Vandh village, said, “Due to the installation of this RO plant by Tata Power, our existing and coming generations will be free from waterborne diseases.”

“The way Tata Power had taken up the consultation drive for implementation of this programme involving various stakeholders like village gram panchayat, opinion leaders, self-help groups, technical help from WASMO has shown the company’s transparent institutional strength and its commitment towards society”, he further added.

The company has taken up various initiatives on water-related interventions for its communities in Gujarat. A detailed hydro geological and hydrological investigation with special reference to water conservation in the villages of Mandvi and Mundra talukas is being undertaken. Through Water Solutions, a Delhi-based organisation, CGPL has also taken up other initiatives, specifically in the areas of watershed management and rainwater harvesting (ie, well recharge, pond deepening, check dams, farm bunding, etc) in the nearby villages of Tunda, Tragadi, Nanabhadia and Mota Kandagra, among others.

Adding further details on the initiatives taken up by CGPL, Alok Kanagat, executive director, CGPL, said, “CGPL has also initiated a Government of Gujarat sponsored special project ’Jalmani’ in partnership with WASMO for providing drinking water in the primary schools of Mandvi taluka. Till date, the company has installed 12 numbers of 100-LPH RO plants in the schools. Further this year, the company is targeting to provide 100 per cent drinking water pipeline connectivity to the schools of the Mandvi and Mundra taluka and also installation of 50-LPH UV plants in the schools under Jalmani programme.”