Strategy and Activities of the Program
People's participation is very essential for the sustainability of any development program. With a strong belief in this concept, Bala Vikasa motivate and organize the villagers who come forward by themselves to solve their Fluoride problem with the support of Bala Vikasa.
Criteria for selection of the village:
- Having more than 2 PPM fluoride in the public water supplying source
- Willing to implement the project involving the total village population without discrimination of caste, religion, politics etc.
- Beneficiaries willing to contribute 30% of machine cost
- Gram Panchayath/ community willing to provide raw water supply and existing or new room in the village for installing the machine.
- Willing to get united and work under the committee specially organized for the purpose of project maintenance.
- Willing to contribute user fee for the supply of water and follow the project norms.
Water testing : The water samples are collected from the major drinking water sources in the villages for testing. The village elders bring the samples to the authorized laboratories for testing. If the result indicate that the village is having more than 2 PPM fluride then they make the application to Bala Vikasa.
Organizing and motivation : In every applicant village, Bala Vikasa conducts series of village level meetings and explains the process and benefits of the project. It motivates the villagers to get united for solving their community problems. Bala Vikasa along with the village elders collects the required data, makes need assessment and design the project jointly.
Local contributions : The villagers are motivated to contribute 30% of the water purification machine cost. This will be mobilized by way of membership fee from the beneficiary families. Each family will pay between Rs. 150 and Rs. 200 as membership fee to meet the 30% of the machine cost. Contributions from single donors, rich class, government share, MLAs, etc. are not accepted to ensure the genuine share of the beneficiaries. Apart from 30% cash contribution for the machine, the villagers also provide an existing or new room and raw water source for installing the machine. With these contributions the share of the beneficiaries will be more than 50% of the project cost.
Organizing a committee : The beneficiaries who pay the share and become the members of the project elect a committee of 5 – 7 members to take care of the total project maintenance.
Role and responsibility of the committees:
- Organize the villagers and conduct meetings
- Collect the contributions from the beneficiaries
- Support Bala Vikasa in implementing the project
- Hire necessary staff for operating the machine and water supply
- Monitor the regular functioning of the program
Reverse Osmosis Technology: Get the information on this
Operational system: The person hired for operating the machine will work on full time basis ensuring sufficient quantity of purified water is produced every day. He delivers the water on the fixed timing decided by the villagers.
Water supply system : The purified water is supplied in 20 liters cans to every member. The members come with their cans to the machine which is generally 
located in the center of the village at a convenient place. The members purchase the pre paid cards of 10 cans, 15, cans, 30 cans etc. as per their monthly consumption. Each time they come to the machine and collect the water the operator punches on the prepaid card. This ensures effective accounting system and economic stability.
Pricing the water: The beneficiary members decide for what price the water should be supplied. Generally it costs approximately Rs. 1 for producing 20 ltr water. Therefore, the villagers decide to supply for Rs. 1. But in some villages who want to establish some maintenance fund they supply the water for more amount and once they feel they have sufficient fund then they reduce the price to Rs. 1.
General Body meeting : The villagers conduct General Body meetings as and when required. Every year they conduct annual General Body meetings and celebrate the anniversary of the project.
Maintenance of the project : The companies which supply the machines generally take care of the first year maintenance. From the second year on, the villagers will take Annual Maintenance Service from the service providers. Bala Vikasa is planning to make a federation of the project villages and this federation will setup a maintenance unit which can be cost effective.
Technical support by Bala Vikasa : In the initial years, Bala Vikasa staff visits the project regularly and participate in the monthly meetings of the committees and help them in conducting the meetings and monitoring the project.
