Bryanston Brings Water to Indian Community

A rural community in a drought-prone area of southern India now has access to a reliable and sustainable supply of clean water for the first time thanks to the support of Bryanston school in Dorset. The introduction of a deep borewell, water pump and 2,000 litre storage tank in a Tamil Nadu village was completed as part of the Life Water programme in association with school catering supplier, Chartwells, and its partner charity, drop4drop.

The community initiative has transformed the lives of 2,200 people in Padhirivedu St village who previously only had very limited access to clean water, with residents needing to walk long distances to open ponds where they were able to wash their clothes.

‘Collecting water has always been a real struggle for everyone in the area,” says 24-year-old villager, Ms Manvizhi. ‘There was never enough water to go around and the supply was very unreliable leading to a great deal of frustration and concern. That has all changed thanks to the new water project funded by Bryanston. It is a great blessing to all of the people in the village and we are very happy to now have a good supply of clean water so much nearer to our homes.’

‘We’re delighted that this community initiative has made such a difference to so many families in Padhirivedu St village,’ adds Bryanston Catering Manager Matt Grime. ‘Access to clean water is a major problem for so many rural communities in India and 186,000 children die every year in the country because of unsafe water and poor sanitation. It’s good to know we have helped one community overcome the water supply issue that has blighted their lives for so many years, especially as the solution is very much in keeping with our own commitment to sustainability.’

The project was completed thanks to donations from Bryanston’s purchase of bottled Life Water supplied by Chartwells. Installation of the new water source was undertaken by the drop4drop clean water charity with the active participation of the local community. Aside from the convenience of having a reliable supply of water in the heart of the village, the project has also eliminated the need for local families to collect and burn scarce supplies of wood to boil water.

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