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	Karjat Water project

Aritra Bhattacharya Reports..

Mumbai, April 24: For years, the villagers of Burujwadi trekked up a hill to return with pots of water on their heads as the searing heat scalded their feet and the dust filtered their vision.

On the foothills of Matheran, around 90 km from Mumbai, these villagers never believed the routine could change.

Children ogling swank cars kicking up dust trails, people living in extreme penury, making Rs 20 to Rs 25 a day: You can’t escape the similarities with Chandipur in Swades.

And true to the script, Burujwadi’s residents along with six other adjoining villages outwitted the odds and brought water to their doorsteps with a water harvesting facility they built themselves.

‘‘Tankers were alloted to supply daily water to our villages in April and May—they actually turned up only twice or thrice a week,’’ says Hari Yurupirkar, another Burujwadi local.

So while Shah Rukh Khan played facilitator in Swades, the Satya Sai Baba Trust in Mumbai replaced him in real life, inaugurating the harvesting apparatus on April 18, with funding from HDFC Bank.

Yurupirkar’s fellow villagers worked eight long months, even making the bricks in the local kiln. The pay-off has been the sweet taste of running water—the project brings water to 1,200 villagers across seven villages.

The project essentially comprises a 17-ft-high bund that holds back rain water, a pump to carry the water to a 90,000-litre tank on a hilltop and 13 distribution points with three taps each.

Incidentally, it was the villagers who first approached the Sai Baba Trust in neighbouring Dodani Village, where it runs a primary school.

Back at the inauguration, the locals didn’t turn up and the corporate guests wondered where they were. Where were they on the big day? Getting dressed for the occassion.

When they emerged, the women had flowers on their heads and the children went straight for the water.

Underlining the festivities though, was irony. The Morbi dam, built on land emptied of villagers and under construction for over 10 years now, will actually supply water to the urban sprawl of Navi Mumbai.

‘‘The government hasn’t even paid us for the land it has taken away to construct the dam,’’ says Vishu Kewari, sarpanch of Burujwadi.

For now, though, Burujwadi has built itself the opportunity to dream.

‘‘We can probably start a broom-making business now,’’ says Kamal Bhasma, Ambewadi’s lady sarpanch of the womenfolk, as she looks appreciatively at the water gushing out of the taps.

Karjat Water project

This Water project involves the supply of water to 5 villages, which could also lead to seven if plans are finalized. The names of the villages are (1). Burujwadi (2) Dandwadi (3) Tepajiwadi (4) Chinchachimalo (5) Nimbarwadi.

All these villages are on the Karjat side of Karjat hills and are at a height of 2500 feet from the sea level, roughly about 88 Kms from Mumbai. All the villages are severely in need of water during the summer period of three months and have to trek and carry water from the bottom of the hill to height of 2000 feet daily for their daily water need.

Burujwadi: This is the main village at a height of 2000 to 2500 feet above the water source point. The number of houses in this village is about 55 with almost 7 to 8 people in each, which works to a population of 450 approximately.

Dandwadi: This village is next to Burujwadi at a distance of 1000 feet. The number of houses in this village is 16 and population works to around 145 odd.

Tepajiwadi: This village is at a distance of 900 feet from Dandwadi. The number of houses in this village is 14 and the approximate population is 120.

Nimbarwadi: This village is at a distance of 1100 feet from Tepaji wadi. The number of houses in this village is 40 and a population of 360 odd.

Chinchachimalo: This village is at a distance of 1600 feet from Nimbarwadi. The number of houses in this village is 45 and a population of 400 odd.

PLAN
The plan to successfully complete this project meaningfully will be as follows

To enhance the already existing source of water which is a well, either by rain harvesting or integrating it with an additional bore well to ensure sufficient water supply for a the villages.

To fit a heavy water pump of almost 3 phase 10 HP so that it can take care of supplying water at a head of 2000 feet and a distance of almost 3800 feet. Here again we will require taking expert opinion before we finalise on the rating and capacity of the pump to suit the terrain. HDPE and GI pipes will be required to connect the source to the top tank and from the tank to the different platforms constructed in the five different villages.

A massive RCC reservoir tank of almost 45000-liter capacity to store and facilitate distribution to the respective villages.

Electrical connection is available till the source but the sanctioning of power and meter boxes with its connecting accessories will have to be taken care of for the water pump.

Any necessary permission from the Tahasildars office and Gram panchayat will have to be taken with the help of the villagers and the local Sarpanch and Upasarpanch.

The above mentioned plan is further elaborated and examined in detail in the following passages wherein a detailed schematic diagramme is also given

SOURCE
There is an already existing water source, which is a well at the bottom of the foothill having a dimension of 23 feet in diameter and almost 30 feet in depth. This source gets dry by the mid summer time and there is need to harvest water in this well to sustain it throughout the summer. There is also a possibility of going in for a bore near by to integrate with the existing water source and thereby be sure to supply the much-needed water to sustain all the five villages through out the year. Experts such as geologist and rain harvesting experts will have to be taken to the site to get a thorough report and feed back of the plan of action, which will be most practical and economically viable.

W-- Well
WATER PUMP AND ELECTRICAL SUPPLY REQUIRED
The total head from the source of water to the proposed water tank reservoir would be approximately 2000 feet and at a distance of 3800 feet. The initial 1200 feet has a steep gradient and thereby has a gradual gradient upto the water tank reservoir. There is an electricity pole very close to the well and all that is required from the MSEB will be the sanction of almost 10 HP of power. The MSEB officials may decide the cable and extension from the pole to the well after we duly apply for the power. MSEB official will have to be taken over there to get an estimate and time required to finish the project.

VILLAGE TOPOGRAPHY
The distance between each village and its terrain is explained below. From Burujwadi to Dandwadi is about 1000 feet. There is a slight dip in the terrain, which again goes up and ends in the village. The proposed site for the water tank is in between Bujurwadi and Dandwadi and is at a height of 300 feet head and a distance of 1000 feet from Burujwadi. From Dandwadi to Tepajiwadis around 900 feet wherein there is a dip and climb between the two.
From Tepajiwadi to Nimbarwadi is 1100 feet and from Nimbarwadi to Chinchachimalo is 1600 feet. Here again there is a dip and climb between the two villages.

ADVANTAGE
The added advantage in doing a project wherein five villages together is benefited is not just the economics wherein the overall cost and effort is reduced but also the number of people benefited and the message that gets thru to a compete belt. The awareness towards Baba is already on the growth and this project will definitely help in cementing the belief on the gram seva programme to bring more and more people into Swamis fold and prove to them by example Swamis principle and message.

COST ESTIMATION
Sr No	Item	Qnty	Unit	Rate/Unit	Amount
1	Cement	3000	50 kg/bag	145	435000
2	Bricks	40000	Nos	1.5	60000
3	Sand	74	brass	2000	148000
4	Rubble	10	brass	800	8000
5	Steel	3760	Kgs	30	112800
6	Recron Fiber Mesh	595	Packets	22	13090
7	Water Proofing Powder	1095	Kgs	15	16425
8	Tank Cover	2	nos	1500	3000
8	Metal	104	Brass	1200	124800
9	Shuttling & Reinforcement	1		25000	25000
10	11 GI Sheet & Angle	1	Nos	10800	10800
11	Up take pipes
12	GI - 2 1/2"	200	mtr	220	44000
	GI - 2"	250	mtr	200	50000
	GI - 1 1/2"	500	mtr	171	85500
	GI - 1 1/4"	250	mtr	148	37000
13	Down take pipes	200	mtr
	GI - 2"	1000	mtr	200	40000
	GI- 1 1/2"	1000	mtr	171	171000
	HDPE - 1 1/4"	500	mtr	40	40000
	HDPE - 1 "	300	mtr	28	14000
	HDPE - 3/4"			22	6600
14	Other Pipe Fittings				50000
15	PUMP 15 HP & PANELS ETC				50000
16	MSEB DEPOSITS ETC	1000	rft		50000
17	GI Pipe Railing & MS Channels			50	80000
18	Mixer vibrator rentals				40000
19	JCB & Dumper rentals				20000
20	Skilled Labour & Supervision				30000
21	Missalaneous				35000
	Total				1800015

This estimate covers the following scope of work :

Construction of Bund
Construction of Pump House
Installation of Pump
Uptake & Down take Pipleines
Construction of Water Tank of capacity 63000 Liters
Construction of Water Outlets at different points

PICTURES OF INAUGURATION CEREMONY

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