Objective:

To improve year-round access to safe potable and irrigation water through raised and deep tubewell installations and pond restoration in saline-prone, climate-impacted coastal villages.

Overview:

As part of the ICZM initiative supported by the World Bank, SEED implemented a large-scale water access intervention in the coastal villages of Sagar Island. The project involved the installation of 58 deep tubewells, each reaching a depth of 370 meters, ensuring safe and potable water supply in areas suffering from saline groundwater. These tubewells were constructed on 2.5-meter-high raised platforms to prevent contamination and clogging during floods and cyclones. Simultaneously, 70 traditional ponds were scientifically mapped with community participation and underwent desilting and embankment strengthening to prevent saline intrusion and enhance water retention. This two-pronged approach ensured water security for 18,000 people for both potable and irrigation use.

Impact:

• Provided sustainable access to safe potable water for individuals in saline-affected coastal villages through the installation of 58 deep tubewells, each constructed on 2.5-meter-high raised platforms to ensure uninterrupted functionality during floods, cyclones and tidal surges.
• Enabled year-round clean water availability for drinking and domestic use, leading to a 30% reduction in reported waterborne illnesses, including diarrhea, skin infections, and gastrointestinal diseases.
• Restored 70 community ponds covering over 14 hectares, through community-led mapping, desilting, and embankment strengthening. This intervention ensured long-term freshwater retention for irrigation over 280 acres (approx. 113 hectares), supporting household food security and smallholder farming.
• Ensured availability of freshwater throughout the year for kitchen gardens and small-scale horticulture units, enhancing nutritional intake and supplemental livelihoods for hundreds of households, particularly among women-led and marginal farming families.
• Significantly reduced dependency on contaminated surface water and seasonal rain-fed sources by introducing a diversified, climate-resilient water infrastructure, thereby strengthening the community’s capacity to withstand climate shocks.