Projects
The Pilot Project: Handpumps for Bokaro
In February 2021, our team successfully completed its initial project in Bokaro’s village of Lalpur: The Pilot Project. This project entailed installing one Afridev hand pump, supplying Lalpur villagers with 24/7, year-round access to clean drinking water.
Lalpur is located in the Chandankiyari block of Bokaro and is known for high rates of diarrheal disease, which are correlated with a lack of consistent access to clean water. Improper, typically shallow, drilling into groundwater sources provides water that is contaminated by pathogens and toxins due to decreased sediment filtration—a problem that is exacerbated by the lack of waste disposal mechanisms.
Since its launch, this pump has been providing clean water to 60 families – or about 250 individuals ranging from children to adults. The pump reaches about 200 feet under the ground, and unlike the other existing pumps, will not run dry during the dry season. This hand pump is being maintained by our community partner, Jan Chetna Manch Bokaro (JCMB), who will also assist with collection of monthly evaluations.
As a continuation of this project, HHI is currently collecting feedback from Lalpur’s families to confirm the success of the project and work out any quirks: A process that entails careful translation of evaluations from English to Hindi and back. This accomplishment encourages our team members to continue to organize and execute the construction three additional hand pumps in surrounding villages by December 2021.
After noting the tremendous success at Lalpur, our team has been able to implement pumps in other cities as well such as Bansghari, Simulia, and Santhal Laghla. Each of these locations has greatly benefited from this addition, which is described in greater detail below.
Basghari is a town in the state of Uttar Pradesh, specifically in the district of Ambedkar Nagar. Droughts are a common source of water distress in this area because of a monsoon deficit, which the area relies on for a source of water. In addition to this, water pollution is another prevalent issue.
Simulia is a town in the state of Odisha with an average population of 1050 people. This town has constantly struggled with a water crisis but have tried various programs such as ‘Catch the Rain’ in order to combat this dire issue. Our team hopes to support them in their advances by providing them with clean water pumps.
The Santhal Lagla tribe also struggles with a lack of access to clean water because of drought-like seasons. The natives have innovated ways to keep drinking water clean. An example is boiling water and storing it in a close-topped clay pot on a raised platform. Our team hopes to aid these efforts by implementing a water pump in a central location where the natives can easily access indispensable clean water.
Support
We would like to thank these amazing organizations for providing us support for our projects and ideas!
Service Partnership Mini Grant
Kenan Biddle Partnership Grant
Robert E. Bryan Fellowship
1789 Student Venture Fund
