GUWAHATI, March 14 - Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has successfully completed its first model village at Gandhigaon near Khumtai in Golaghat district, ushering in a new concept of direct grassroot-level intervention through its CSR activities.
The integrated development plan for Gandhigaon was conceived and successfully executed to turn this backward Upper Assam village in Golaghat district into a smart model village.
Under this CSR project sponsored by NRL, work was done in three main verticals - sanitation, drinking water and alternative energy (home solar systems and street lighting system), besides construction of a community house with various recreational facilities.
Shepherded by NRL DGM (CSR) Pankaj Kumar Barua and Senior GM (HR) AK Bhattacharya, the project found that the villagers were at the mercy of water-borne diseases. Hence, a reverse osmosis (RO) plant was installed.
The plant along with the RO house was completed and commissioned in a record eight weeks. Managed by the Village Development Committee, the villagers have to pay a token monthly fee to the VDC for its maintenance and self sustainability.
The project was implemented by the Nanda Talukdar Foundation (NTF) as it found that the basic sanitation facilities were inadequate in many villagers� homes. The lack of proper sanitation facilities was especially difficult for the village women and girls who had to use open spaces and fields in the dark. In all, 77 toilets were completed and handed over to the beneficiaries in five months� time.
The village was electrified by NRL, but 10 houses could not be reached as the village was bisected by a railway line. Hence, ten solar home systems were installed in homes of 10 beneficiaries without access to regular electricity supply.
Similarly, two solar street lighting systems were successfully installed and strategically located in the village.
It goes without saying that all the interventions strengthened the rural community of Gandhigaon and has inspired them to better their lives and further modernize their village in a sustainable manner.
A Community House with various recreational facilities was also constructed as part of the initiative.
