Naandi to implement drinking water project in 20,000 villages

The Naandi Foundation, established by Dr Reddy Laboratories' chairman K Anji Reddy, has decided to undertake safe drinking water projects in 20,000 villages in the state by the year 2011.

Taken up with the people's participation so far in 125 villages in six districts, the safe drinking project features a unique model which usies ultra violet rays, and claims to either kill or deactivate all the pathogens in water, the source of many a health problem in rural areas.

While announcing the receipt of Rs 3.5 crore grant ($8.5 lakh) to the project from the World Bank-funded Global Partnership on Output Based Aid (GPOBA), Naandi chairman Anji Reddy said the foundation had negotiated with banks for funding tie-up with each of these units to be managed and maintained by the people of the respective villages.

He said the organisation was also contemplating a hub and spoke model where a single unit would cater to the drinking water needs of three to four villages.

According to him, the foundation is planning to implement safe drinking water projects in 800 villages during the current financial year.