Bharat Integrated Social Welfare Agency (BISWA) is a social development agency based in Orissa and working across 14 other states through its integrated micro finance programme to extend women empowerment and social development objectives.
Amongst all its programme activities, water and sanitation is a priority sector where less than 8% population has sanitation coverage and less than 2% have access to household water supply. Under the water and sanitation intervention linked with micro finance, BISWA works on facilitation of household toilet construction, household piped water connection, community owned tubewells, rainwater harvesting, water conservation structures, etc.
On the occasion of World Water Day, BISWA organised a meeting for the Head Office based staff members on ‘Clean Water for Healthy World’ where Ex Vice Chancellor Rajendra Prasad Padhi and RWSS Executive Engineer Nihar Ranjan Dash were the chief guests. During the session, there were 251 participants inclusive of BISWA’s senior staff and its Founder Chairman, K.C.Malick.
In addition, across different villages from the operational area of BISWA, rallies of school children were taken to sensitise the rural population on saving water. The students sang slogans like – Jala hin Jivana (Water is live), Jala Sampada Mahan Sampada (Water is the greatest possession), Brukshua Katanatu Nahi (Stop deforestation), Jala ra Sadupojoga Kariba (Proper Use of water). During the march through the villages, children could motivate the villagers to the messages towards saving water and proper use of water.