A two-pronged approach to hygiene

Our baseline studies showed that Yadgir district has little or no access to clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.

The area is drought-ridden and much of the water found within the region is not potable. The community lacks awareness about issues of health. Without any access to toilets or sanitation, the result is widespread open defecation leading to a high incidence of water-borne diseases. The lack of access to clean water and toilets in the region has had a severe impact on the quality of health and hygiene.

By engaging with the community, we actively aim to change the mindset of the community towards increase in the utilization of safe drinking water, improved sanitation and good hygiene practices

Since much of the groundwater has high quantities of nitrate and fluoride, research in appropriate technology is underway.

Under the School Health and Sanitation (SHS) programme, thematic orientations and bi-monthly water testing are conducted across schools. The focus has been dual in nature: on maintaining the hardware structures that have been constructed, such as filters, water storage tanks, toilets and hand wash posts, and conducting regular health camps and water quality testing. In villages facing severe water shortages, rooftop rainwater harvesting structures are being constructed at schools.