The first drinking water plant was inaugurated at the district headquarters hospital on Tuesday. This was established by Safe Water Network in association with Honeywell at a cost of Rs. 17 lakh. This included cost of infrastructure, technology, training to operators and one year maintenance. Incidentally, this is the 50th water plant established by these organisations.
The entire work was completed on a war-footing within two weeks.
The plant supplies 1,000 litres of water every hour and those who came to hospital for treatment and their attendants will get water free while others have to pay Rs. 5 for 20 litres.
The cost that required meeting the need of water for patients and their attendants will be borne by the hospital. They can recharge their Any Time Water cards and get as much water as they need. The water plant will be run by a Self Help Group (SHG) which was trained for this purpose.
Collector Bharati Hollikeri, Honeywell Corporate Social Responsibility head Sangita Ghalay and Safe Water Network country director Ravindar Sewak inaugurated the facility.
“This is the first water plant in the district and we have established on the hospital premises to meet the need of patients and their attendants. Contamination of water was one of the reasons for almost 40 per cent of diseases. This is a good beginning and we will establish few more water plants in the district. Backwardness can be addressed by providing safe drinking and water improving their health conditions,” said Ms Bharati.
Ms. Sangita explained that they took up this programme under CSR and providing water would reduce the health problems.
Mr. Ravindra Sewak said that they were providing the best equipment to provide safe drinking water and so far established as many as 165 water plants across the nation. “The mechanical failure rate is only 0.7 per cent. Our first water plant was established at Nizampally in Warangal district seven years ago and out of the 497 households about 93 per cent are using this water,” he said.
