The people in water stressed areas around Ratnagiri, in Maharastra, have quite something to cheer about. The fourth phase of the pipeline construction in Kolambe village of Ratnagiri has been completed. So far three water schemes have been implemented in the Kolambe region, while the fourth was inaugurated on May 2 in the presence of members of the gram panchayat and 200 villagers from the region. In addition to digging new wells, the old wells have been rebuilt. A water filtration unit has been installed in one of the wells at Bhatye. Now 15 lakh litres of water can be distributed to the villages of Bhatye and Phansop through water tanks during the summer.

These are among the 17 schemes that Mukul Madhav Foundation, the CSR arm of Finolex Pipes, has helped implement for providing water access to villages around Ratnagiri. Nearly `45 lakh have gone into renovation and development of sustainable water transport infrastructure in the Kolambe gram panchayat region since 2014. The outcome is that around 19,000 people from 3,704 households will no longer be deprived of clean, accessible drinking water.

“Any activity is sustainable only if various stakeholders are addressed. We have implemented these projects in consultation with the local government and the villagers. While taking care of the water shortage, we have also extended financial help to the gram panchayats for payment of repair charges, electricity bills etc with respect to the existing water supply schemes,” says Math, director (operations) at Finolex Industries Ltd, Ratnagiri.