Case study of cairn foundation

On
Safe drinking water in Barmer, Rajasthan

Poor management, unclear laws, industrial and human waste have caused a water crisis in India that is
exacerbated by changing climate and continued population growth. According to some of the world’s
industrial and emerging economies, India is the most vulnerable to future water stress. The
implications of this water crisis extend beyond agricultural and industrial challenges; the social
dynamics of Indian villages are changing.
A recent Times of India story reported on this forced bachelorhood. Parents of many brides-to-be
have broken their daughters’ engagements because they do not want their daughters to walk more than
5km (3.1 mi) to fetch drinking water. This is becoming a more common occurrence in the region as
parents do not want to send their daughters to a village that is at the mercy of erratic and expensive
water tankers, since common wells, the only source of drinking water in many villages, are drying up.
Cairn through its CRS project Jeevan Amrut Yojna in Barmer has brought a ray of hope back into the
livelihoods of villagers, especially women. Now villages that have a Jeevan Amrut Yojna Unit is
within easy reach of the women managing their household and also responsible for the health and
wellbeing of the family, not to forget the economical angle as well. So we see a lot of women and
girls come to our units to get safe and clean drinking water.
In some villages we are also using fuel less mode of transport like camel cart and bullock cart to
distribute water to the interiors of villages or where there is crisis. From 15 cans a day we could reach
50 cans per day using these cheap modes of transportation. One such village called Khardi where both
these modes have been successful has not only motivated the Operator but also inspired him to get a
pedal rickshaw with a carrier to carry 15 cans in one go and sell it through a Kiranawala in the village.
The highest revenue generator for the month of January 2017 was Khardi unit with 40000 liters
dispensed through hard work and smart usage of environment friendly mode of transport