Inspiration
Class XI student comes up with water ATM for over 300 families in Maharashtra
Moved by the plight of people suffering from water shortage, a class XI student from Mumbai collaborated with Eureka Forbes to set up water ATMs in Maharashtra. The first ATM has been set up in Sholapur and is benefiting 300 families today.
Now that many parts of India have started receiving ample rainfall, it may be very easy to forget the grievous drought faced by many parts of Maharashtra. The images of people trekking for miles just to get a can of drinking water are indelibly etched in the collective memory of the nation. But the public memory is notoriously short and we will forget it soon. However, the delicate minds of children cannot forget such images easily.
In fact, one such kid was so impacted with the entire situation that she worked hard to provide an inspirational solution. Deeya Shroff, a student of Class XI at Dhirubhai Ambani International School in Mumbai has started an initiative to set up water ATMs in rural areas across the country to provide access to clean drinking water to people. The initiative is called project Jal Jeevan, and its first ATM has been set up in Sholapur, Maharashtra. Nearly 300 families in the region are already benefiting from its regular use.
After researching on the issue of water scarcity, she decided to do something to help and reached out to Eureka Forbes to discuss her idea. “There were bureaucratic hurdles and process delays, but I followed up with the administration till I got a go-ahead,” she said.
With sheer perseverance, Deeya raised ₹15 lakh by contacting individuals, government officials and the municipal commission. The first ATM was inaugurated on Republic Day this year by the Municipal Commissioner.
“The water ATM is a system where the local source of water i.e. bore well etc. is connected to a water purification plant that is set up in a village. The purification plant works on the basis of Reverse Osmosis and purifies water. This purified water is then stored in a tank near the ATM, ready to dispense in 20 litre jerry cans. Each family is given a water ATM card for daily usage. When the card is swiped at the ATM, the purified water is dispensed,” says Deeya’s blog talking about the Jal Jeevan initiative.
The Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards is an annual nationwide search to identify and recognize school students who have made a positive difference in their communities through volunteer community service.
The Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards programme, which is an extension of ‘Prudential Spirit of Community Awards’ – the largest youth recognition programme in the United States, was introduced in India in 2010. Deeya was recently honoured with the 6th annual Pramerica Spirit of Community Awards for her “extraordinary” contribution to community service
Winning this prestigious award is no mean feat. A total of 46 students from across the country are shortlisted for formal recognition. Out of these 16 are presented with certificates and silver medals. Finally, 2 out of these 16 finalists are recognised as national winners.
Another student who shared the top position this year along with Deeya is Nikhiya Shamsher from Greenwood High School in Bengaluru, who is working on making education accessible to children from underprivileged families.