The 3,245 residents of Sirsao (pronounced Shir-sav) in Maharashtra face severe water quality issues in their village. Whilst this is a seasonal issue for many rural villages in the State, for Sirsao this is a year round problem and has been for decades.
“The water in Sirsao is so salty that it is unfit for drinking. Skin becomes rough after bathing and it’s worse during the summers. Youʼll see dark-coloured clothes quickly developing salt stains after washing them with the water hereˮ. Sirsao resident
Through regular testing, we’ve discovered that the water supply of Sirsao has 15 times the WHO recommended acceptable level of natural minerals and chemical contaminants.
Elderly residents of Sirsao recollect women fetching water in utensils and pots from a neighbouring village 3km away. The village now gets its water from a newly constructed open dugwell located downstream of the Tambewadi Lake approximately 16km and transported to Sirsao via a pipeline that passes through several villages and settlements before being stored in an elevated storage reservoir. The system, installed through the Indian Government of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM Water for Life) government initiative, was designed to overcome local water quality challenges and over time it has proved to be unreliable. The residents of Sirsao report that the pipeline is tampered with by people from other communities, has high operation and maintenance costs and doesn’t work when there are power outages. In the heat of this year’s summer, the residents waited 15 days for water.
As a result, many households resort to storing water in large containers and vessels in their houses. Buying water in bottles or from tankers is common for those that can afford it, but the most vulnerable marginalised community members are left with no choice but to queue for water from public taps when it’s available.
Primary school children use a hand pump when the piped supply stops working.
Detailed hydrogeological assessment led by Frank Water and our local partner ACWADAM gave us deep insights into why the village’s water quality has been getting worse. The findings showed that the problem starts underground in the aquifers beneath Sirsao lie in thick, weathered volcanic rock, which affects the quality of the water people rely on.
The insights from the study were shared with the Gram Panchayat (village council) and community members to strengthen their understanding of the water quality issues in their village. The effects of high salinity in Sirsaoʼs groundwater go far beyond taste, theyʼre visible in the daily lives of its residents. At the local primary school, itʼs common to see children with dental issues and poor hygiene, a consequence of using saline water for brushing and washing.
Kidney stones and diarrhoea are widely observed amongst the children and elderly residents, and farmland irrigated with saline water has become infertile reducing the produce.
In response to the pressing issues with Sirsaoʼs water, the community (informed by our hydrogeological assessments and enriched with indigenous knowledge) identified the provision of safe drinking water to school children as a critical and achievable starting point. A rooftop rainwater harvesting system was proposed for the primary school, offering a locally managed solution.
The community is invigorated by this achievement and is committed to working together with us to improve water safety and security at the village level. We’re excited to work with them, ACWADAM and the local government to achieve what the people of Sirsao richly deserve – a fair share of water.
