Projects – 24/7 Water Supply And Sanitation Facilities In Duppada, A Village Near Vizianagaram, A.P. India

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Bharathi Theertha is instrumental in obtaining a grant from the Rotary International Foundation through Rotary Club of Naperville to build an aesthetic bathroom and latrines, and safe drinking water supply system to serve the needs of 400 poor and backward class people in Duppada, a village near Vizianagaram, A.P., India.  The Rotary Club of Vizianagaram partnered in this project.  The cost of the project was $43,000.

The objective of this project is to provide safe drinking water and  hygienic sanitation facilities for the villagers to use for improving their health.  The elimination of the cultural habit of open defecation by the poor is another objective. Only, after conducting numerous meetings and discussions with the poor villagers and the leaders of the village, who gave the assurance that the villagers will use the facilities, the project was implemented.  As of the middle of 2015, all the people are buying water at Rs. 2 per 12 liters. Villagers also pay a nominal fee for using the bathroom and latrine facilities.  As per a survey conducted in early 2015, it was noted that 50 percent of the population were not practicing open defecation.  Efforts are being continued to eliminate open defecation by the people for which these facilities were built.