Gangadevipally celebrates silver jubilee of drinking water project

Warangal: Gangadevipally, a model village in Geesukonda mandal of Warangal Rural district, on Monday celebrated silver jubilee of installation of a safe drinking water project.

Kazipet-based NGO Bala Vikasa constructed an over-head tank in 1993 to ensure safe drinking water supply to the doorstep of every family in the village. A water committee, which was formed to look after the project, succeeded in managing the water supply for the past 25 years.

The initiative in turn led to forming of nearly 22 other committees in the village for an all-round development of the village with community participation and contribution. Their efforts earned recognition and the village become a model at national-level for innovative village development.

Marking the achievement, a grand celebration has been organised at the village. Bala Vikasa founder Bala Theresa Gingras, its executive director S Shoury Reddy, the village development committee president K Rajamouli and others took part in the celebration.

Addressing the villagers, Bala Theresa congratulated them and told that ground-breaking initiates are essential for a model village to constantly inspire other villages. The unity of the residents of Gangadevipally played a key role in their success they achieved in the past 25 years.

“Model villages are built based on collective efforts and community assets and there is a need for every village start working by making use of available resources instead of waiting for outside support,” Bala Theresa said.

Explaining the success journey of the village, Shoury Reddy said the villagers responded positively to Bala Vikasa’s advice to think and work differently towards sustainable development of the village. ‘All agreed to do dig farm ponds with Bala Vikasa and government support and 100 per cent fields have farm ponds’.

They also came forward to totally ban plastic carry bags, plates, glasses and to use only cotton bags and the villagers install a single eco-friendly Ganesha idol during Ganesh festival, he added.