The Rotary Club of Bombay (RCB), with its partner Chirag Rural development Foundation, has made a third intervention in the tribal-dominated area of Mokhada. This intervention was in the villages of Ghodipada, which has 70 families with 400 people and a satellite hamlet called Mukundpada with 13 homes and a population of 100.
Shedding light on the project, RCB President Framroze Mehta said, “Ghodipada is a remote village situated on the banks of the River Wagh, but faces water and power issues. Mukundpada, a twin hamlet that grew as an extension of Ghodipada, is even more remote and totally disconnected as one has to cross a river from Ghodipada to get there. This village would have remained neglected, hence the need to support the two villages together.”
Further explaining the initiative, Mehta said, “The Rotary Club of Bombay embarked upon a project to bring about sustainable and integrated development of Ghodhipada and Mukundpada villages by addressing the challenges faced by these villages. Villagers have been an integral part of the change with a participatory approach where almost seven villagers have donated a part of their land as ‘Bhudaan’ for the mini-grids and tanks and many of them engaged in ‘Shramdaan’ for the digging of trenches and pipe laying. With this intervention, 500 villagers will have access to clean and continuous power for their homes, streets, schools and ICDS centre, safe drinking water, toilets to make the two hamlets Open Defecation Free and water for domestic and agricultural use.”
Speaking about RCB and the hardwork that went into the project, Pratibha Pai, Founder — Chirag Foundation, said, “Once the project support was approved by RCB, with the help from Frashogar Charities, the technical team did a detailed survey to see how best the village could get water provision. We, along with our on-gound partner Diganta Swaraj Foundation, decided to install a 7.5 hp water lifting system split into different parts, because of the unique needs of the terrain and the people. One was in the river closer to Ghodipada for water for agriculture and domestic use, another in a well in Ghodipada to pull water up to a tank that will then provide water through a filter to ensure villagers have the convenience of pure drinking water and the third pump in the river closer to the side connecting Mukundpada for its water needs. Water pumped from the river is stored in four concrete tanks from where villagers will draw water. Since Mukundpada has only 13 houses, the villagers have been given individual water filters to ensure they get safe drinking water as well.”
Due to the project, Pai said, all homes have received home lighting solutions that include a solar panel, two bulbs, a mobile charging facility and a portable lantern for outdoor use.
“Streets are now safer and brighter with sensor-based street lights. The school and ICDS centre are now better equipped with solar support to ensure a better learning experience with e-learning. Mogra and tree saplings have been distributed as the income-generating component. This is our third integrated rural development project with RCB, and this one is very special to us because it is Chirag's 500th village intervention in the ten years of our existence.”
