Safe and affordable drinking water is what at least 60,000 people in the backward regions of Karimnagar and Adilabad districts of Telangana state can look forward to getting in the next 24 months. To make this a reality, Safe Water Network (SWN)and Honeywell India has partnered to provide convenient access to affordable and reliable safe drinking water to water quality affected communities in Telangana. Funded by a Honeywell India grant, SWN is building 25 “iJal” safe water stations in Karimnagar and Adilabad districts from 2015 through 2017.

Initially, 25 iJal stations will be installed. Each of the stations, costing approximately $35,000 to $40,000 in capital investment, is expected to serve 2,500 people. Once operational, the local community will be a stakeholder in the station, and would be engaged in running and generating funds to maintain it, said Kurt Soderlund, Chief Executive Officer of the Network.

The approximate cost works out to Rs. 4 per 20 litres. Since access to safe drinking water is a high priority and the ‘local ownership model’ is scrupulously implemented, the projects are expected to be a success. Already, 10 iJal stations have been operationalised, he told newspersons here today.

“These will serve approximately 60,000 people in an area that suffers acute groundwater contamination from fluoride. Ten iJal stations are already operational in Karimnagar district,” a joint statement said.

According to the statement, Telangana is ranked second on a list of states with drinking water problems, with Union health ministry data showing 1,174 hamlets across the state affected by fluorosis. Water and sanitation-related illnesses account for 70-80 per cent of disease, including fluorosis, in this region, it said.

Data from a UNICEF study shows that only 35 per cent of households in Adilabad district, and 64 per cent of households in Karimnagar district, have access to safe drinking water.