Delhi-based NGO brings water to rural households in Ri Bhoi

SHILLONG: The Society for Action in Community Health (SACH), a Delhi-based NGO, collaborated with HDFC Bank Ltd, which as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), provided water supply to all households in Khongwing in Umling block in Ri Bhoi on July 5.
SACH and HDFC Bank Ltd also recently implemented the biggest school sanitation and WASH project in 133 schools covering Ri Bhoi, East Khasi Hills, West Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills.
“The supply of water to the village households would help them escape the drudgery and indignity of treading a long distance to fetch water,” a SACH release said.
The statement added that the state PHE department had constructed three water platforms in the village way back in 2004 but they soon became dysfunctional due to poor maintenance and damage to the pipelines.
“The work to bring water to the village began a few months back with a feasibility study,” Surendra Panwar, director-communication, SACH, said adding that the most difficult exercise was to locate the new source of water and bringing it to the villagers of Khongwing by laying a 2Km pipeline.
Umling BDO R. Kharbihkhiew, who inaugurated the project said, “It is great to see civil society undertaking such initiatives in the remote villages. This will go a long way in solving water problem of the village.”
SACH under the HDFC Bank’s CSR initiative, Holistic Rural Development Project, undertook interventions across areas like household water supply, livelihood enhancement through improved farming techniques & livestock management, improving educational infrastructure, youth skill development et al in 17 villages of Umling & Jirang Block of Ri-Bhoi district.
Other villages wherein water supply is being made accessible to individual households are Umwang, Nongbah and Markang villages of Umling Block.
The schools of all 17 villages in Umling and Jirang blocks of Ri Bhoi district will have access to water supply.