Infosys Foundation — the philanthropic arm of the Indian Information Technology (IT) major Infosys — has tied up with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) named Visakha Jilla Nava Nirmana Samithi and said it will spend Rs 5.92 crore to construct water supply systems in the tribal villages of Visakhapatnam.
That money will be used to promote good sanitation practices and create efficient water management systems in all the target villages.
Reports suggest tribal areas of Visakhapatnam have been suffering from acute water crisis for years now. This means the villages also suffer from shortage of drinking water.
Water levels in various reservoirs that supply to Visakhapatnam have been plummeting. Such water shortages come against the backdrop of rapid industrialisation that lowered water supply.
In addition to that, aged and decayed water pipes — laid about 20-30 years ago — add to the woes with frequent leaks and bursts.
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has reportedly been trying to solve the water shortage issue and planned to spend about Rs 4 crore as part of a summer action plan to counter the matter.
Now, the Infosys Foundation spending money along with the NGO to improve the situation is expected to add to the relief of the affected villagers.
"Drinking water supply and sanitation in India continue to be a key concern. The Foundation endeavours to promote good sanitation practices and aims to train local communities to effectively manage water supply systems through workshops," said Sudha Murthy, chairperson of Infosys Foundation, in a statement.
"Under this project, local communities will also be taught to manage a village development fund," she added.
