Jivan Initiative's 'Pani Abhiyan': 3,000 flood-affected people in Assam covered

According to a report by The Hindu, an organization in Assam has taken charge of 7 flood-affected villages in Charaideo district for water-related difficulties, covering nearly 3,000 villagers under its 'Pani Abhiyan'. When floods affected several districts of eastern Assam in July, Charaideo and Sivasagar were two of the worst-affected districts. Most of the 82 people who died by August 1 belonged to these two districts.

Through individual donors' financial support, the volunteer-run group 'Jivan Initiative' provided a specially designed water treatment device to every family in Chala-Garmur Basti, Halmaspara, and Banhabari villages. Another 4 villages—Khana Grant, Na-Gaon, Gazibil, and Gultup-Barahi Grant—were covered with support under IDBI Bank's Corporate Social Responsibility program.

Suresh Ranjan Goduka, Managing Trustee of Jivan Initiative, said that volunteers will monitor the impact of the intervention during the 5-year warranty period of the devices and beyond, track key indicators in the villages, and undertake more community activities. He said that Jivan Initiative had earlier undertaken similar programs in flood-affected villages of Goalpara and Morigaon districts.

Mr. Goduka stated that as floodwaters receded, another humanitarian crisis arose in the rural areas of Charaideo, which was the scarcity of clean drinking water. Bottled water provides immediate relief, but it increases plastic pollution and is unaffordable in the long run. Submerged tubewells, groundwater, and other traditional water sources spread waterborne diseases like typhoid, cholera, diarrhea, and hepatitis. Consequently, along with loss of life and health, villagers have also suffered economically. Therefore, becoming self-reliant in drinking water is very important.

The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Institute of Minerals and Materials Technology developed these water-treatment or filtration units for flood-affected villagers. These units were engineered for high-turbidity water typically found during floods. A volunteer of Jivan Initiative stated that these units are gravity-based and do not require electricity, and can purify natural water from sources like rivers, ponds, and wells. It fulfills drinking and cooking water requirements.

Built on Terafil technology, these units remove bacteria, turbidity, and iron, maintain neutral pH, and preserve essential minerals. Made of food-grade polypropylene, these units require only normal cleaning and do not need an annual maintenance contract. These units have been tested and certified by the Department of Science and Technology and the Central Institute of Petrochemicals Engineering and Technology.

Mr. Goduka stated that since daily filtration is not a traditional practice in many rural areas, this campaign combines permanent household hardware with a behavior-change component. A team of our volunteer coordinators visited the villages and handed over these devices to one member of each family, explained their operation and maintenance procedures, and talked about water, sanitation, and healthy living.