Ensuring Safe Water Access: A Case Study on Community-Driven Approach to Make Drinking Water Accessible

Problem Statement:

Indigena Solutions partnered with Mercedes Benz India Private Limited to address a pressing social issue in schools around Pune, Maharashtra. Many schools faced a severe lack of access to safe drinking water, exposing students to waterborne diseases, health risks, and compromised educational outcomes. This challenge directly impacted attendance and hindered the development of students in these schools.

Mercedes Benz India, with its strong commitment to community welfare through its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, engaged with us to design and execute a sustainable intervention to ensure clean and safe drinking water for these schools.

Solution:

We took a comprehensive, community-centric approach to address the issue. Our solution combined advanced water purification technologies with strong community engagement to ensure long-term sustainability and measurable impact.

1. Customized Water Purification Systems:

Our Solutions conducted detailed assessments of the water quality in each targeted school, focusing on Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) levels and other contaminants.
Based on these assessments, we implemented a combination of UV (Ultraviolet), UF (Ultrafiltration), and RO (Reverse Osmosis) systems tailored to the specific technical requirements of each school.
The systems were designed to handle the volume of water needed to meet the daily requirements of students, ensuring both efficiency and reliability.

2. Community Training for Sustainability:

We emphasized empowering local stakeholders, including school staff and community members, by training them in the operation and maintenance of the water purification systems.

By building local capacity, we ensured that the initiative would be self-sustaining over the long term, minimizing the need for external support.

3. Awareness and Behavior Change:

In addition to technical solutions, we conducted workshops for students and staff to highlight the importance of safe drinking water and good hygiene practices.
These efforts aimed to create a culture of water safety and hygiene within the schools and surrounding communities.

Key Insights:

1. Localized Solutions Work Best:

Tailoring the water purification setups to meet the specific technical (TDS levels) and social (student population) requirements of each school ensured optimal results.

2. Community Ownership is Key to Sustainability:

Training and involving the local community in maintaining the systems not only ensured the longevity of the intervention but also fostered a sense of responsibility and ownership.

3. Holistic Interventions Amplify Impact:

Combining technology with education and community engagement created a more profound and lasting impact.

Impact Metrics:

Schools Covered: Several schools across Pune and surrounding areas now benefit from access to safe drinking water.
Students Benefited: Hundreds of students experience improved health and attendance due to reliable access to clean water.
Water Quality Metrics: Post-installation testing confirmed significant improvements in water quality, meeting national and international safety standards.

Conclusion:

At Indigena Solutions, we believe in creating impactful, sustainable solutions to address social and environmental challenges. Our partnership with Mercedes Benz India to provide access to safe drinking water in schools is a testament to the power of collaborative action.

By blending advanced technology with community-driven strategies, we delivered a solution that not only addressed the immediate issue of unsafe drinking water but also empowered local communities to sustain the impact over the long term.

This initiative is a shining example of how corporate responsibility, when paired with innovative problem-solving, can lead to meaningful and lasting change.

Ensuring Safe Water Access: A Case Study on Community-Driven Approach to Make Drinking Water Accessible