This 15-year-old has built a rainwater harvesting system for 500 homeless people

Tavishi Singh (15) is on a mission to better the lives of 500 helpless and abandoned people through her rainwater harvesting project. Called the “Endless River,” her project aims to provide 10,000 liters of water every day to the homeless and mentally-challenged people.

A student of Pathways School, Gurugram, she saw many homeless and abandoned people living in unhealthy conditions. She felt the need to provide them with basic amenities such as clean drinking water and food.

Tavishi approached 'Earth Saviors,' a Gurugram-based NGO, which is dedicated to serve the less privileged people and is also making efforts to protect the environment, reports India Today. She aims to install a rainwater harvesting project within the premises of the foundation.

Tavishi took her project to an online crowdfunding platform 'Ketto' to raise funds. She also did door-to-door campaign with the help of her friends and was able to collect Rs 1.78 lakh.

Speaking about the project, Tavishi said:

Delhi heat was at its worst, and one could see it was only a matter of time wherein water would become the next major concern for the foundation.

It wasn’t an easy task for her to set up a unit that would provide 10,000 liters of water and at the same time was cost-effective and environmentally-friendly. It was then when her queries for an efficient and cost-effective rainwater harvesting project introduced her to Sekhar Raghavan, the Rain Man of Chennai, says The Patriot.

On receiving support from Sekhar, she said,

In the initial phases, he helped me in selecting the most efficient and cost-effective method of rainwater harvesting.

Two 20 feet deep borewells were built within the NGO’s premises to recharge the groundwater. As the borewells get recharged with the rainwater, it then gets channeled through the pipes around the well and replenishes the groundwater with clean water.

Tavish's the Endless River project will have a three-fold impact. First, it would supplement the daily needs of 10,000 liters of water daily. Second, it will replenish the depleting water tables and third, eliminate the possibility of the stagnant water bodies which can be a breeding ground for the mosquitoes. The rainwater harvesting system was inaugurated this month and is now fully-functional.

The National-level swimmer wants to continue to take her work forward even after she finishes school and make a positive impact on the lives of others.

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