#SaveRajghat-Light & Drinking Water for remote Chambal valley | Milaap
#SaveRajghat-Light & Drinking Water for remote Chambal valley villages
  • Drumi

    Created by

    Drumi Bhatt
  • KF

    This fundraiser will benefit

    KarmaKonnect Foundation

    from Dholpur, Rajasthan


About 50km away from Tajmahal at Agra, lies Rajghat and many such Villages in the interiors of Dholpur in Rajasthan, on the border of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. As part of Dholpur Nagar Panchayat in Chambal ki Ghaati (Chambal river basin) region, they fall under National Chambal Sanctuary. 

Rajghat village is devoid of all basic amenities of life. It has no source of clean drinking water. It has no electricity. 



The Project aims to ensure provision of safe drinking water &solar lamps in Rajghat and neary villages – where villagers are currently forced to drink water from open-river stream carrying among other things - dead bodies and is house to crocodiles.

Further, the project also aims to setup a home solar lighting system for each of the homes of these villages and few street lights for night-time accessibility.

Villagers source their water (including drinking water) from the river Chambal. Besides being heavily polluted, there is also an added risk of being attacked by Gharials (crocodiles) and encountering human corpses that sometimes come floating in by the river bank. There have been incidents of men and children being dragged away by crocodiles. In the absence of an alternate source of water, villagers continue to risk their lives.

  • There haven’t been any weddings in the village in over 20 years now. There have been only two weddings in the village in two decades. It is popular as the village of bachelors. They have heard of things like fridges, air conditioners, and washing machines, but the mere thought of using them is a distant dream. A few have mobile phones. They have to walk 2 km to nearest town to get them charged,”
  • Authorities have their explanations ready for leaving Rajghat devoid of any development efforts. ‘It lies in National Chambal Sanctuary especially earmarked by the government for protection of critically endangered gharial and the Ganges river dolphin. Being in forest area, there can be no construction within 500 meters of the river. No roads can be built’.
Provision of Safe Drinking Water at Rajghat Village:

The daily drinking water need for the entire village is estimated to be about 1200-1500lpd.
Fortunately, being surface water source in a rocky terrain, Chambal River water is low on dissolved salts. Just filtration and control of microbial contaminations would make it fit for human consumption.

Water tests were conducted by a professional agency – Eureka Forbes at their Jaipur office.Based on the test results the KarmaKonnect team will decide between 2 home-based water filters for each of the 50 homes:

Eureka Forbes Water Filters (Approx.: Rs. 3000 each)
  • AQUASURE MAXIMA 4000 PRODUCT FEATURES:
  • 1. Virus kill – Total protection from Virus, Bacteria & harmful chemicals
  • 2. 1 Year Cartridge life – India’s first storage water purifier with 4000 liters of cartridge life
  •  3. Auto Shut Off – For your safety stops flow of water at the end of the cartridge life. Ensures “Safe water No water” for your family 
  • 4. Genuine Safety – Contains U.S.E.P.A. registered disinfection resin technology for the safest drinking water purification 5. Toughened Body – This product comes to you with a high quality food grade and toughened body, ready to take on day to day rigors of your life. 6. No need to boil water - No running water, no electricity required.


SOLAR HOME LIGHTING SYSTEMS FOR ELECTRIFICATION
For Rajghat, which has been devoid of any development,  this project means cheap quality power at home and relief from kerosene, which is pollutant and health hazard, for which, often they have to pay the expensive price due to black marketing.

For the villagers it is just more than light, it is an opportunity to do more after the dark. Keeping in mind long-term sustainability and needs of Rajghat, KarmaKonnect researched and reviewed various electrification alternatives. 

We have narrowed down to using a home lighting system that provides a cheap, safe and ready-to-install and uses alternative to the conventional off-grid setup.


Items
Cost per household
No. Of Households
Total Amount 
Solar Home Lighting System for each home
Rs. 4200/-
52
Rs. 2,18,400
Water Purifier for each home*
Rs. 3000/- approx.
52
Rs. 1,56,000
Total (approx.)
Rs. 7200/home
 
Rs. 3,74,400
Each donor is encouraged to Sponsor one home solar/water solution. Slowly and steadily we can reach our goal of saving this village from a dismal living quality.

Project Timeline & Monitoring:

  • Installation of Drinking Water and Electricity solutions shall be initiated and completed as soon as we start receiving funds, in batches of 10 each. (to save on installation and training costs)
  • KarmaKonnect will monitor the functioning of both the solutions and the stories of change and development will be communicated regularly to donors periodically. Any additional funds from the project shall be used to help health emergencies or providing the same solutions to neighboring villages. Detailed accounts from the project will be promptly given to all donors.
  • Water quality will be monitored every year by taking water samples and getting them tested to make sure the filters are effective. Any corrective steps if needed will be instantly taken.  Yearly filter changes shall be managed by KarmaKonnect
  • KarmaKonnect team will be training local youth in the maintenance of the solar/water units. The youth shall also be trained/encouraged to sell these units in neighboring villages in the future as an entrepreneurship venture
  • ALL DONATIONS ARE 50% tax-exempted under the KarmaKonnect Foundation vide its 80(G) certificate. Please reach out to Drumi@Karmakonnect.org for the same.

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