KARIMNAGAR: Honeywell, an international company that manufactures a range of technologies – from aerospace to automation and Safe Water Network (SWN), a voluntary organisation, jointly launched their 25th ‘i Jal safe water station’ at Gopalraopet village in Ramadugu mandal recently. About 967 households can now get water that has been purified at Rs 4 per litre. This is a part of the company’s CSR programme. The Safe Water Network establishes the water stations by partnering with voluntary organisations, various state governments and the Union government. It provides training, tools and support in erecting the stations.
Ananta Maheshwari, president, Honeywell India, said, “Honeywell is committed to creating truly lasting solutions for sustainability challenges being faced by communities around the globe. We are happy to partner with SWN. Not only is the success of their mission due to technical expertise in safe drinking water, but because of their ability to engage and educate communities.
Ravi Sewak, country director of SWN, said that they had been providing safe and affordable water to 4.30 lakh people of Telangana, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra by setting up 125 i Jal stations across the state since 2010. Of these, 110 stations were set up in Telangana alone, benefiting nearly 1 lakh rural people who were unable to find safe water due to contaminated soil.
Mr Sewak stated that they were installing most of the stations in Telangana because water in the state had the highest nitrate and fluoride content, posing a health hazard to people. He claimed that they were ready to set up these stations in urban areas, but had been facing certain hurdles. SWN is planning to build 300 i Jal safe water stations, providing access to nine lakh people in the country by 2018, he added.
