New!! Safe Drinking Water for 1000 families in the Slums

GPM is proud to announce the inauguration of our new water initiative program,  Jal Jeevan Hain meaning “Water is Life” in Hindi. This program will provide 1,000 families with safe drinking water in the Bhaskar Nagar neighborhood of the Kalwa slums where GPM operates.

Savita Mishra testing out the water system

Safe drinking water is nearly impossible to find in the slums of Mumbai. Residents of the slums collect water for drinking and cooking from wells throughout the slums. Unfortunately, the bore wells are dug poorly and are extremely dangerous because they are contaminated by sewage. The fuel needed to boil this contaminated water is expensive, so people are forced to forgo that process. They have no choice but to drink this water, which carries bacteria that causes disease and many life threatening illnesses. 

GPM partnered with Indian companies and NGOs to implement this new water system: Eureka Forbes Institute of Environment, Rotary club of Deonar, Mumbai, and Andal Cares. Local residents under the supervision of Savita Mishra operate the system that uses an RO clear filter unit. Runoff water can be used for other purposes such as washing clothing and cleaning dishes. 

At the inauguration GPM staff, community members, GPM Love2Learn teachers, officers of the Eureka Forbes Company, Delicio Women Cooking Co-operative members, Naya Paper Recycling staff and representatives from GPM's partner organizations Sundara and Doctors For You were in attendance.

"Water is a basic human necessity. The people living in the slums need and deserve clean water for everyday use. We are proud that this new system is being implemented and 1,000 families will now have access to safe drinking water, and we hope that we can expand this project in the future." explains Jacob Sztokman, founder of GPM.  

GPM India Director, Kenneth Dsouza, cutting the ribbon for the site