This project will repair and deepen the primary well in Bitiyari, allowing the well to recharge with fresh ground water. A deeper well will also allow for more water to be captured during the monsoon season and saved for use during the dry season.

Repair of the Bitiyari well will greatly improve the community's access to drinking and cleaning water, and alleviate the strain put on existing water resources. A parapet safety barrier and a pulley system will also be constructed in order to ensure women and children are able to safely collect water from the well.

Bitiyari is a remote village of animal husbandry and agricultural workers bordering the Kutch desert in Gujarat, India. The majority of families earn approximately $2 a day from harvesting mung bean, bajri flour, peanuts, and other agricultural labor on the nearby farms.

The nearest town is 10 kilometers away, and there are no plumbing, irrigation or other water infrastructure in Bitiyari. Villagers must rely on excess water saved from the monsoon rains or the unreliable, weekly visits from government water tankard vehicles to obtain drinking water, and farming is dependent on the length of the monsoon season.

Recent droughts have created a water shortage problem for Bitiyari, and women are spending three hours a day to walk to two kilometers to a neighboring well in order to collect water for their families. Village women must make this trip 2–3 times each day, carrying heavy pots of water on their heads, for enough water for daily family use.

Community member details not available yet.

Direct Impact of Your Project

Repairing the Bitiyari village well gives 50–60 families access to water for drinking, cooking, cleaning, and washing. Reliable access to clean water will greatly increase the health and sanitation of the village. Availability of clean drinking water will decrease cases of skin ailments, dysentery, diarrhea, cholera, typhoid and other water-borne diseases. Families will also be able to use excess water to clean and wash regularly, improving the hygiene of the Bitiyari community.

Additionally, available water can be used for irrigation for winter crop cultivations. Increased agricultural production will provide the community with grain and fodder for cattle, resulting in increased income and food security.

Extended Impact on Your Partner Community

The ability to procure water in the village center will eliminate the need for women to walk 2–3 hours a day to obtain water from a nearby well and other water sources. Time saved can be used to for productive activities such as agricultural work and embroidery, allowing women to earn an extra income for their families.