Empowering one and all

To stop soil erosion, ICRISAT recommended big percolation tanks or rainwater harvesting tanks, Loose Boulder Structures (LBS), Rock Filled Dams (RFD) and Small Farm Ponds. These transformed the landscape, as flora and fauna flourish now. All the 10 villages have 130-140 ponds with cemented boundaries. Another 40 farm ponds are proposed. Water troughs for cattle and vermi-compost pits have also been built.
The village Muddavaram got its first bund in 2017. The structure prevented erosion of top soil during rains and flooding of the farms in the neighbourhood. Residents Ramesh, Elaswamy, Maddya Naidu, G. Ramesh and Nagasheshalu, happily, say, “This has solved the summer irrigation crisis as almost 500 acres get this water in dry months too. The ground water level has increased and we don’t need deep borewells. The cattle also have drinking water now.” The neighbouring villages too have requested for such water bodies. The gram panchayat is looking at starting pisciculture.

Nagalaxmi, with a small farm, has nurtured a kitchen garden in the vacant plot around her humble home. She grows brinjal, lady’s fingers, spinach, beans. “The produce suffices for household needs and the excess is sold. The seeds have been provided by ICRISAT and I shall soon be growing more vegetables and fruits.”

With a medium farm holding of seven acres, Peddanand owns a mango orchard, cultivates pigeon pea and groundnut and grows vegetables around his farm pond now.

The first bund was built in 2015 in Veeraipalli village, adjacent to V. Giddiah’s land. He owns teak and other tree plantations around the bund, where water fowls swim. Mohan Reddy has a landholding of seven acres on which he has teak plantation, mango orchard, a LBS and rainwater harvesting facility. He says, “These structures have increased the fertility of my farmland and there is water the year through.”

Sumalatha’s dream of a comfortable life has come true since she got a sewing machine under SHG support. The daily wager began tailoring three years back. “My earnings have grown to Rs 300 per day. On festive occasions, it’s even better, as everyone wants good clothes.”
POWERGRID established a water treatment plant and vermicompost pit in Pendekal. Life in the easy-going village, which has a Dal Mill machine, is abuzz during harvest season. Plants that absorb toxins from water are planted in and around the treatment plant, and the treated water is reused for irrigation.

Samarthya means enabling and POWERGRID is enabling the lives of differently-abled children at this school. The state-ofthe- art building is barrier-free. The school-cum-hostel campus is for special children belonging to nearby regions in district Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh.

The new school has been constructed at a cost of Rs 3.26 cr. The six paintings of inspirational people, donated by eminent artist Bhim Singh, make for a wondrous entrance. Among these is actor Sudha Chandran and other inspiring people who overcame physical disabilities to become achievers.

Shiv Shanker Pandey, vocational instructor, informs that there are 13 posts for vocational instructors. The teacherstudent ratio is 1:8, enabling one-to-one interaction with the students. Depending on the time of the year, Mahender Sowani helps the children draw colourful festive drawings. Gajendra draws a beautiful peacock. Payal Marai, a tribal, rehearsed for a dance item presented on World Disability Day. A sportsperson, Omprakash plays kabbadi and cricket, while Laxman exhibits Powergrid leadership qualities. For impromptu guests, the children are always willing to dance and show their talents. And they live on in their world, undisturbed by the sounds that prevail outside.

In November 2017, POWERGRID joined hands with the local administration to clean up this filth and the temple premises. The task was given to a Delhi-based NGO, Akanksha Enterprise. The NGO has also taken up a sanitation drive in the famous Vaishno Devi Temple, Katra. They had to clean the Ganga Sagar lake too, which is used for a dip by the devotees.

The company spends Rs 10 lakh every month on this project. Workers, in two batches, clean the premises regularly and carry the temple waste for segregation and processing at the site closeby. Two compost machines for non-plastic waste and two shredders for plastic waste have been established.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is the one hospital that every Indian visits for treatment of serious illnesses and diseases. Giving relief and shelter to the ailing and their harried kith and kin is the 10-storeyed, 325-bedded POWERGRID Vishram Sadan, located just minutes away from the hospital. Pramod Kumar, Manager, informs, “The building was constructed at a cost of Rs 34 crore. It is managed by the 25-year-old charitable trust Bhao Rao Deoras Sava Nyas. There is a helipad on the roof too.”
There are 81 rooms from 1st-7th floors with seven single beds, 14 double beds, 21 three beds and the rest are dormitories. Every room opens out to let in plenty of sunlight, enabling cross ventilation. The maximum number of days that a family can stay is 14 days. “In severe cases, if the patient needs further checkups, they can rent the room on the doctor’s recommendation,” says Kumar.

Built at a cost of Rs 75 lakh, the new building of Zila Pustakalaya Bhawan opened in July 2019. In collaboration with the Haryana Advisory Board, this renovated district library is a landmark community facility in Civil Lines, Gurugram, Haryana. The foundation for this was laid in 1972. And 45 years later, this is a reader’s haven.
The librarian, Khub Ram Yadav, says, “This modern library comes as a boon for the youth. We have to give facilities to the children to study in peace and compete well. This library does just that.”