Rotary clubs provide clean water to 30,000 people in 20 remote villages in India

(Delhi – INDIA, 1 October, 2008) --- As the United Nations estimates 2.1 million children die before the age of five each year due to a lack of clean water, Rotary clubs are collaborating with the public and private sector to provide sustainable, clean drinking water to 30,000 people in 20 villages.

Rotary clubs in India and France are together providing INR 3.2 million (USD $68,000) to build four water dams in the Alwar/Sikar region, located in the state of Rajasthan in western India.  “These dams will transform this region from a poor and famished land to green fields where people and animals will have enough water to drink and enough food to eat,” said Sushil Gupta, president of the board of trustee of the Rotary India Water Conservation Trust (RIWCT). 

As part of a grassroots effort on water management established by Indian Rotary clubs, the RIWCT is working with local communities, governments and the private sector to construct dams, and build reservoirs and shafts for rainwater harvesting.  Under the leadership of RIWCT, Rotary has successfully funded the following projects:

• The Kaladeh Wala Dam will benefit eight villages (Kishanpura, Avinashi, Neem ka Thana, Bhagwanpura, Maujmed, Sodhala, Math ki Dhani and Sanwalpura) with a total population of 6400. It is reported that with the benefit to livestock the milk yield has virtually doubled. The project is jointly supported by Rotary clubs in France and India for a combined total of Rs INR 12,30,000 (US $ 30,000)
• The Buja Wala Dam will benefit two villages (Brahmanon Ki Dhani and Telia Ki Dhani) comprised of 1,160 people – along with an additional 260 residents in two nearby villages, and 4,800 heads of livestock. This project is jointly supported by Rotary clubs in France and India for a combined total of: INR 716,592 (US$ 15,342).
• The Girati Wala Dam will directly benefit two villages (Girati Ki Dhani and Loharavas) comprised of 1550 people – along with an additional 280 residents in two nearby villages, and 3,000 heads of livestock. This project is jointly supported by the Rotary clubs of France and India for a combined total of: INR 666,872 (US$14,239).
• The Kemra Wala Dam will benefit five villages (Mishrala Ki Dhani, Advanya Ki Dhani, Teeba Bassi Ki Dhani, Lohia Ki Dhani and Rajgarh) comprised of 2,350 people – along with an additional 70 families in two nearby villages and 5,000 heads of cattle and other livestock. This project is jointly supported by the Rotary clubs of France and India for a combined total of: INR 954,639 (US$ 20,517).
• The Tapkeshwar Wala Dam will benefit five panchayats consisting of 20 villages with a population of approximately 20,000 people.  The long term benefits from this project will result in the increase in level of the sub soil water and thus filling up wells in the area.. Rotary contributed INR 848,186 (US$ 18,438) exclusively to support this project.

In 2003, Rotary in India adopted the Delhi Declaration, which aims to promote proper water management throughout India by:  

• Creating public awareness of water management,
• Educating school children and stake holders at various levels on the importance of water management,
• Disseminating knowledge about water conservation techniques including the traditional methods,
• Encouraging community participation in integrated and sustainable water management,
• Promoting the National Perspective Plan for interlinking of rivers for development in water scarce areas.

As part of this nationwide effort, Rotary and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) will open a water kiosk in the city for pedestrians, along with sanitation facilities. In addition, Rotary signed a memorandum of understanding with the KMC to provide separate sanitation facilities for girls in 108 KMC schools across the state.

The projects in India add to the growing list of collaborative water projects between local governments, communities and Rotary. “These partnership projects demonstrate how government, business and the NGO community can engage to solve global water problems in innovative ways,” said Gupta.

Rotary clubs worldwide are involved in an estimated 6,000 projects in rural areas of Africa, Latin America, and South and Southeast Asia - all aimed at addressing the lack of access to safe water and sanitation that claims more than two million lives each year, a majority of them children.

For more information regarding Rotary’s efforts on clean water, please visit Rotary website: www.rotary.org  

Rotary is an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide who provide humanitarian service and help to build goodwill and peace in the world. Rotary is in There are approximately 1.2 million Rotarians who are members of more than 32,000 Rotary clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. www.rotary.org.

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