A tribal dominated village ‘Emaliguda’ is located in Gadiseshkhal Gram Panchayat of Kolnara Block in Rayagada. The village have 175 households with a total population of 1200. Round the year, availability of potable water to all the households is one of the major issues the villagers confront since long.  Almost all households have individual toilets provided under Swachha Bharat Abhiyan, but use of toilet at household level is very minimal owing to unavailability of water.

Emailguda being an operational village of CYSD’s Integrated Child Development Project, the villagers highlighted the water scarcity challenges before the programme team. As an initial step, involving the entire community, a Plan of water security, sanitation and garbage disposal was facilitated for the village.

Latter, towards better management of water, a Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC) was formed in the village last year. With the interventions of VWSC, the existing 4 bore-wells of the village were cleaned up, one defunct electric pump set got repaired and the electricity consumption outstanding charges were paid. Besides, another bore-well was made functional by installing solarised pump set.

While facilitating the preparation of water security, sanitation and garbage disposal plan, among many issues, it was revealed that the Emaliguda UP School has an unused bore-well mounted with a hand pump. The bore well water was not usable because of which the school children had to fetch water from a distantly located bore-well for drinking purpose losing their study time, even the school cook used to bring water from outside for preparation of mid-day meals. The children had a practice of going outside for discharge of urine and defection, though the school was having newly constructed toilet without water supply facility.

After rounds of discussions with the School Management Committee (SMC), it was decided and planned that the school would procure one overhead tank and required pipes out of the School Improvement Grant (SIG); the skilled youth of the village would install the overhead water tank with pipe wiring; and the VWSC to supply required water to the overhead tank from the nearby bore-well using electric pump for use by the school.

With due approval from the concerned Block Education Officer, the SMC utilised the current year’s SIG by installing an overhead tank wiring pipes to the toilet, kitchen, hand wash and drinking water platforms. The VWSC has been supplying the required water to the school water tank.

Now the children are very happy with the water facilities at their school’s door step and the daily burden of fetching water from a far distance place has been sorted out. One of the community members with excitement said, “CYSD’s intervention in our village has undoubtedly opened our eyes and paved the way for resolving critical issues collectively and hence, we are thankful to the organisation”.