Solar Lanterns Project

With a grant from the Rotary International Foundation obtained by the Rotary Club of Naperville, and support from some generous friends of India Development Coalition of America and Bharathi Theertha, a solar lantern project was implemented in eight villages near Chitrkoot, M. P. Deendayal Research Institute of Chitrakoot and Mr. Jiwan Prakash Sondhi of Detroit, MI, USA helped Bharathi Theertha in implementing this project in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Satna, M.P. The cost of this project was $25,000.

After the project was completed, Mr. Sondhi invited some staff members of The Energy Resources Institute (TERI, New Delhi, India). They were very much impressed with the project. The awarded a grant equivalent to $75,000 to implement solar lanterns in another 36 villages in the vicinity of Chitrakoot.

The benefits of the project included:
1) elimination of kerosene as a fuel to light the lanterns, thereby eliminating the risk of burns and diseases such as respiratory diseases and cancer to public health due to toxic kerosene vapors
2) providing clean light for six hours with a solar lantern instead of three hours of a dim light with a kerosene lantern,
3) providing a financial benefit to the poor villagers by their paying Rs. 60 per month ( $1.25) instead of Rs. 130 ($2.25) per month for leasing the lantern, and providing employment to two persons in a village for helping the charging of lanterns.

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

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.

Environmental Health Club

An Environmental Health Club was inaugurated in 2013 at the Maharaja Institute of Medical College, Nellimarla, Dist: Viziangaram, A.P. India. The objective of this Club is to inculcate the value of health education into medical students, so that they will be able to impart knowledge to their future patients how to protect their health in the first place and enjoy a productive life.

It is Bharathi Theertha’s hope that the club will continue to organize seminars by distinguished physicians on prevention of certain diseases rather than curing them after they occur.

Bharathi Theertha will encourage physicians to address medical students at this college during their sojourns to India.

Smokeless Stoves (Chulas) Project

In the homes of the same eight villages near Chitrakoot, where solar lights were provided, smokeless stoves were also installed to improve the indoor air quality of the kitchen areas in these homes. Traditionally, food in these village homes was cooked on open fires created by using firewood, dried dung patties, leaves, paper etc., as fuel. A lot of smoke was created due to the use of such fuels in the tiny kitchen areas, which were not properly ventilated. In order to avoid the smoke, smokeless stoves were provided. A grant from the Rotary International Foundation was obtained by the Rotary Club of Naperville, IL with an initiative and contribution of Bharathi Theertha. The Rotary Club of Satna, M.P., India was the host club. The smokless were produced at the Deendayal Research Institute, Chitrakoot, M.P., which assisted the Rotary Clubs in the installation of the smokeless stoves along with chimneys. Smoke genreated was ventilated through the vent pipe connected to the stoves, and a much cleaner and safer indoor environment was thereby created.

Briquettes are made from biomass manually as well as by machines. These briquettes are used as fuel for the stoves. The cost of the project was $25,000 and 420 homes in the eight villages were benefitted. Engineers Without Borders-India Chapter provided finances for the procurement of mechanical briquetting machines.

Help to Hudhud Typhoon Victims