E-Paper
MUNPL quenching thirst in rough terrains of Prayagraj’s Meja
NTPC and UPRVUN's joint venture, Meja Urja Nigam Private Limited (MUNPL), has installed solar-powered mini water scheme units in rural villages in Prayagraj to tackle water scarcity. MUNPL has installed 12 units out of 18 sanctioned units, providing clean drinking water to communities. The initiative also includes solar-powered reverse osmosis systems in primary schools and solar lights in the villages.
In the rocky terrains of the rural Meja Tehsil of Prayagraj lies the village of Salaiya Khurd– one of the villages under the Meja Urja Nigam Private Limited (MUNPL) project, a joint venture of NTPC and UPRVUN.
Rajkumari, a resilient 55-year-old daily wage worker, has stood as a symbol of strength in a community plagued by water scarcity owing to the landscape and remote location, around 40 km from Sangam city in the district’s trans-Yamuna area.
“After my marriage, I have been witnessing the water scarcity issue here. It was very difficult for us to perform our daily chores even. Earlier, MUNPL installed handpumps in our village but now, the water has become unfit for drinking. That’s why we had to fetch drinking water from the nearby village,” explained Rajkumari.
But with the installation of MUNPL’s solar-powered mini water scheme unit, her worries seem to be vanishing.
“Now, we don’t have to travel long distances to quench our thirst,” says Rajkumari while gazing at the newly installed water tank in her village.
For years, MUNPL has invested resources, time, and expertise in tackling the water crisis that has gripped the region.
“MUNPL’s battle is not only against the scarcity of water itself but against a web of interconnected challenges that exacerbate the situation. Just like Salaiya Khurd, there lies a cluster of villages in the MUNPL’s project region in which around 30,000 people live who face similar challenges owing to difficult topography,” said Sunil Kumar, CEO, MUNPL.
MUNPL’s solar-powered mini water scheme is not only quenching their thirst but also illuminating their lives with the promise of empowerment, he added.
Recognising the urgency of issues from time to time, the super-critical thermal power plant (2*660 MW capacity) MUNPL has been consistently taking proactive measures in the project region through its robust community development initiatives.
The MUNPL has successfully installed 12 units out of 18 sanctioned units of its ongoing solar-powered mini water scheme in Mai Kala, Mai Khurd, Salaiya Kala, Salaiya Khurd, Jhariyahi, Patai Dandi, Isauta, Bijoura and Kohdar where the project is running.
Their intervention went beyond just infrastructure; they also provided solar-powered reverse osmosis (RO) systems in primary schools to ensure safe drinking water for the next generation and installation of solar lights have also been done in the villages.
During the past two years, MUNPL has installed around 10 solar-powered RO systems in different villages.
