On World Water Day, Astral Foundation&mdash the CSR arm of the Astral group functioning for sustainable development&mdash released a video film that was conceptualised and shot by White Rivers Media, beautifully journaling their Hiwali Pipeline Project as a part of the unique initiative of making water accessible to remote villages, which face an acute water shortage on summer days.

As per UNESCO data, every day an average of nearly 1,000 children under 5 years of age die from diarrhoea attributed to poor water and sanitation. World over, women and children spend an estimated 200 million hours hauling water daily. The task to make clean water accessible is definitely a core engineering challenge that is one-of-its-kind. However, not unlike other challenges, collective efforts can make the difference and pace up this process.

Astral Foundation took this challenge with support from the tribals of Hiwali, a remote village in Maharashtra  that runs dry in summers, to install a 2.7-km-long water pipeline connecting a distant well that was accessible only after a trek through difficult terrain. This effectively helps the villagers save a major chunk of their day’s time and effort, which was otherwise spent by each member of every family in fetching water some way or the other.

With this well being the only source of water in the region, Astral’s project directly impacts 300+ villagers and 1500+ livestock & other animals.

The complete impact of this project can be only understood when one realises the potential that resides in Hiwali. Unknown to the outer world, kids in this village are extremely talented and can solve the Rubik’s cube in a matter of seconds, recite tables till 600 at the drop of a hat, and can even make electronic models independently!

These young geniuses, who had to devote their time to fetch water for themselves and their families every day, now have more time to polish their prowess with the successful completion of the Hiwali Pipeline Project.

You can grab the journey of how Hiwali got its first water pipeline here