State Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar on Friday inaugurated the ‘Solar lift drinking water scheme’ in village Churendhar, Tehri Garhwal, Uattarakhand. The scheme is being implemented by Himalayan Institute of Hospital Trust (HIHN) in guidance of Himmothan Society.
The Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) and the Nabajbai Ratan Tata Trust (NRTT) has given financial support for this innovative water lifting scheme. The technical support for this project was given by First Solar, USA, however Tata Solar Power has provided solar panels free of cost. The scheme was inaugurated and handed over to the community by Chief Secretary in the presence of BS Taraporewala, Secretary and Chief Accountant, Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
On the occasion over 300 women from form 11 villages of the area, civil society organisations from Garhwal and Kumaon region, partners form local area, villagers were participated. The scheme is one of its kinds in Uttarakhand to provide safe drinking water to rural Himalayan villages using solar energy. Rural Himalayan region is deprived of adequate water facilities. Natural sources of water are continuously disappearing due to climatic changes. Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Himmotthan Society started a pilot project in the village for large scale development of rain water harvesting structures. Along with this the organisation has been studying and finding alternate sources of providing safe drinking water in the village.
Solar lift scheme was implemented with the water up after filtration, to a vertical height of 186 meters and cover a distance of 70 meters from spring water source, using solely solar energy. The offline solar grids have been established in Churerdhar which provides maximum 3750 watts of energy to pump the water at such a height. The scheme is directly benefitting and serving 40 households in the village.
The scheme has been successfully put into place having close coordination with the villagers in construction work and further operations and maintenance work will be looked after by the villagers themselves. Use of renewable and clean energy to solve safe drinking water problem has set an example in the State. Chief Secretary said that it would motivate not only other villagers and civil society organisations to implement such a scheme but the Government was also appreciating the efforts put towards a sustainable solution of safe drinking water.
Efforts and initiative of SRTT, Himmotthan Society and HIHT were applauded by all invitees. Through such initiatives, organisation was promoting long term sustainable solutions to the mountain problems. Village federations, CBOs and other villagers participated in the event. Villagers said that the scheme had solved their problem of drinking water, now they won’t have to walk kilometres o fetch the water and incidents of water borne diseases will also decrease, especially children.
BS Taraporewala, secretary and chief accountant, Sir Ratan Tata Trust; Dr Malavika Chauhan, executive director, Himmotthan Society; DM Tehri Garhwal Yugal Kishor Pant, Dr Yashpal Bisht, NRM Coordinator and Vinod Kothari, M&E coordinator Himmotthan Society, Dr BK Joshi, chairman Himmotthan, Vishnu Saran, Chief Functionary, HIHT congratulated the village committee, members of Himmotthan society, First Solar, USA, Tata Power Solar and HIST for successfully implement the scheme. They also wished to carry forward other such projects for successfully implement the scheme.