Water, health and sanitation has been a major concern in India for quite a long time. According to a report published in the Huffington Post, 3 infants die every 2 minutes in India due to lack of access to water and sanitation. In India, almost 26% of rural people live below the poverty line. Poor sanitation affects the health and overall development of the country. Women are the most affected by lack of proper sanitation. For example, in India, a large number of girls drop out because of the lack of separate toilets in the school for girls. Only 22% of them manage to complete class 10.
Various initiatives have been undertaken by the govt to achieve the goal of improving India’s sanitation and curb the problem associated with it. However, the goals require combined action and efforts from government, corporates and non-government organisations.
Despite making massive sanitation drives across the country, 50% of India still defecate in the open. The initiatives and cleanliness drive though seemed ambitious, there is an urgent need to involve Corporate Sector to promote WaSH components and sensitise people about WaSH practices. Corporates can implement WaSH component through CSR Initiatives in India. Corporates through their innovative ideas can plan CSR projects and implement WaSh Components among the poor and aware masses of the country. Corporates can reach to the interior parts of the country and benefit the people through their innovative approach.
In this regard, Fiinovation Company has partnered with People’s forum for a social intervention on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) components in Paradip, Odisha. The CSR Project intent to benefit around 700 households in the district by sensitising the locals on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WaSH) practises. The program will ensure access to safe drinking water by installing community Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants in the locality. The activities will include the installation of storage tanks for the collection and storage of the purified water. Every household will be enabled to collect 20 litres of safe drinking water each day through this initiative.
Team Fiinovation investigated the prior condition of the area and concluded that the local people faced immense problem in fetching safe drinking water due to the scarcity of resources. Through the project, Fiinovation intends to improve the quality of health care with access to clean water which is important to maintain good health. In addition, it also aims to create community-level awareness session on the prevention of waterborne disease and combating malnutrition by conducting frequent awareness drives and health camps.
In order to identify the key problem within the community, Team Fiinovation conducted a rigorous need assessment study which resulted in some important observations and essential requirements. Insufficient and unsafe drinking water was a major concern in the area. Due to the presence of many industries in the area, air and water pollution was a major issue in the region, resulting in respiratory and skin diseases. Non-availability of primary health care services added to the woes of the people. People’s forum realised the need to sensitize and create awareness amongst people and implement various initiatives listed in the project activities. As a part of the project, other activities like tree plantation in and around the colonies, school campus, playground and other suitable places, aimed to reduce the flow of pollutants has been initiated. Also, the existing Self Help groups have been employed to carry out the execution along with the NGO.
India can truly achieve the target and surge towards becoming a developed nation. All we need is a collective effort between all stakeholders, adequate funding and determination to achieve the goal.
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