In partnership with Urban Rural Management Empowerment Establishment (URMEE), and with the support of Tata Capital Housing Finances Ltd (TCHFL), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities were provided to 61 government schools in the Karjat and Mangaon blocks of Raigad district in Maharashtra.

The entire project was undertaken in a bottom-up manner, with involvement of the education authorities, the school heads, teachers, children and the school management committees (SMC) which are representatives of the parents and community.

Awareness, motivation and maintenance support are being provided through the project. An internal impact assessment study confirms that the project has positively affected health and school attendance.

Water Conservation in Yawatmal: One of the initial projects supported by HCNF targeted the marginal farmers’ community in three villages of Yavatmal district of Vidharba region.

As the area is drought prone and agriculture intensive, water conservation was very important. The project on the entitled Right of children and young people to a healthy environment” constructed many water conservation structures like percolation tanks, ponds, irrigation tanks, cleaning and rejuvenating streams and rivulets.

Awareness and tree plantation, school gardens, land levelling and organic vegetable cultivation were initiated. The water availability in the three villages has increased and sustains to date. The four years project was supported by Forbes Marshal Foundation, Pune.

‘Green Catalysts’ in Ahmedabad was another important project which was completed. The three years project supported by Gala Freudenburg Group, focused on training university students as Environment Ambassadors.

These trained people undertook various project like awareness creation, segregation and management of solid waste, safe collection and disposal of e- waste, street plays and campaigns at different locations.

They also collaborated with the Ahmedabad pollution control board and arranged programmes in schools and also initiated school gardens. Many of these trained Green Catalysts are still engaged in environment protection initiatives at different levels. The project was implemented by Pariyavaran Mitra, Ahmedabad in full cooperation with HCNF.