Andhra Pradesh

Chittoor, an arid district in Andhra Pradesh, faces seasonal drought. This causes acute water scarcity, leading to very low drinking water availability. Dhan Vayalagam foundation has focuses on developing and renovating traditional water harvesting structures as an effective way to collect rainwater and recharge groundwater, and helps people access water through the summer months. This was done through:

The project improved water quality by tackling the fluoride problem in a village in Andhra Pradesh. Existing concerns within the government systems of Chitoor district about fluoride contamination were validated through water quality studies. Several decentralised fluoride mitigation measures were tested during the pilot phase. This helped in the identification of several cost-effective solutions for improving water quality and led to efforts to introduce these measures in the district.

In 2009, Vishaka Jilla Nava Nirmana Samiti (VJNNS) took up an initiative in six villages inhabited by landless people. These villages have poor or no access to basic infrastructure facilities like electricity and the government’s water supply systems have failed to work because of improper site selection, poor ground water quality (rich in iron content), poor quality of construction and equipment used.