Residents of Hagganhalli, a place in North Bengaluru didn’t have access to clean drinking water. They used water from borewells that was found to have high fluoride content and not fit for drinking. When Sukruth Krishna Kumar, a class XII student visited the village with his family, he became aware of the health issues prevalent there and felt the need to help.

He teamed up with Suprith Krishna Kumar (Class 9) from The International School Bangalore (TISB), and Tarun Kumar Reddy (Class 12) from Canadian International School and embarked on a mission to start a water filtration plant in the village.

They planned to set up a reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration plant that will provide 2000 liters. They estimated the cost of the project to be Rs 8 lakh. The team convinced the local government to provide them the necessary land to set up the plant. For construction and other works, the suppliers agreed to give them the facilities without taking any profit.

Encouraged by the assistance, the students set out on the important task of raising money. They tried seeking help from various well-known foundations but got little help. So they decided to create a charitable trust which they registered with the help of their parents. However, from accounts to project work, these determined students managed all the work.

With the help of the charitable trust, they were able to raise funds. They also approached several philanthropists in the city as well as their friends and relatives to get as much help as possible. The last bit of the money was raised through online crowdfunding.

Almost a year after the students had set out on their mission, the new RO system was inaugurated in Hegganahalli on December 28th. Their hard work bore sweet fruits that was acknowledged by the villagers who were very grateful to them. The villagers even organized a ceremony to thank the hardworking students.

The plant was handed over to the Zilla Parishad who will look after its upkeep and maintenance.

Thanks to the persistent efforts by the responsible and caring students, the villagers of Hagganhali no longer have to face water woes. It was a Herculean task to convince officials to grant plot, raise money through online and offline campaigns and getting the actual work done for the filtration plant, but the students achieved their goal through perseverance and hard work.  Their story is an inspiration to all that even one person can make a difference.