Every day, women in rural villages face an unimaginable burden; they must travel long distances to obtain water for their families. They must traverse a wide variety of tiring and troubling terrain with heavy pots of water supported by their heads. This process is tedious, time-inefficient, and hazardous to their health. Their necks go through lengthy periods of stress and tension due to the weight of the pots of water, and their backs also become weak. However, they do not have a choice. If these women do not venture across these long distances every day for water, they wouldn’t be able to survive the harsh summers.

To tackle this issue, this year, we at Parvaah have undertaken our newest project: Project Boond. With Project Boond, we strove to find a solution that not only reduces the time taken for these women to travel such long distances, but also one that makes traversing the tricky terrain easier and reduces the physical strain on their bodies. Parvaah, in working with Nilkamal Plastics and Wello Water, has found a solution that does exactly that. Introducing the ‘Wello Water Wheel’, a simple, effective tool designed for people without reliable accessto safe water. It reduces the drudgery of water collection for the women, provides irrigation for household vegetable gardens, and the simple rolling mechanism enables the women to use their time more productively. 

This water wheel is ergonomically designed with a handle control that helps people to either push or pull the wheel across the ground, nullifying much of the physical strain. Getting down to the specifics, the wheel is completely made out of recycled plastics. The handle is welded out of steel, with the main drum being constructed out of food-grade and human-safe polyethylene. The capacity of the wheel maxes out at 45 litres and has also been trialled and tested to be leak-proof. The familiar shape of the wheel maintains cultural relevance and its reinforced axles protect the wheel from wear and tear.

Through Project Boond, Parvaah aims to purchase about 100-150 Wello Water Wheels. This project will impact at least 250 households in Rajasthan through the distribution of the water wheels, and with your help, we can not only reach our target but surpass it and spread our impact farther and wider.