Water scarcity is an issue close to our heart. Auroville was born out of an arid piece of land. In a sense, we have been fighting water scarcity since our inception.

Most rural belts in India are fighting the same battle. More than 63 million people in rural India do not have access to clean water. This, in turn, aggravates other issues, such as hygiene and women’s safety.

In 2014, the Grundfos Foundation, along with Grundfos India and Sunlit Future, took a bold step to provide 100 solar-powered pumping systems to 100 villages in India.

“We understand the plight of many women and girls in rural India who have to carry up to 20 litres of water two to three times a day. We are happy to bring some respite to these women and the 100 villages through this project. We think it is going to make a tremendous difference in a lot of people’s lives”, said Christian Hartvig, Executive Director of the Grundfos Foundation.

The initiative is divided into four phases. Phase I was implemented in twenty-eight villages in Odisha, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The off-grid, self-sustaining solar pumping solutions delivered water to 12,400 people.

During Phase II, thirty-two solar pumps were installed in villages across Odisha and Maharashtra. It was completed in February 2016 and impacted the lives of 17,600 people.

Phase III, consisting of twenty-eight pumps, was completed over the course of 2016.
The solar-powered pumping systems with Grundfos’ SQ Flex pumps provide a stable water supply for each village.

Sunlit Future, in partnership with eight local NGOs – Ecosphere, Gram Vikas, Haritika, Harsha Trust, Khoj, Maitri, Pragati Pratishthan, and Tata Trusts – has worked to ensure that the communities are organized and educated to take care of the installations in the future.

“Bringing safe drinking water closer to the homes will lead to improved health and hygiene, quality of life and dignity for the women who have to hand carry loads of water over long distances every day. The saving of time and energy will give a chance for earning more incomes or a livelihood, improving education for children, reduce health costs, and better families leading to healthier communities and societies in the long run”, said Rishi Kapoor, Executive, Sunlit Future.

After completion, the ‘100 pumps, 100 villages’ initiative will have a positive impact on the lives of approximately 50,000 people.