Nearly 40,000 tribals from Thane and Palghar districts in Maharashtra will get access to clean drinking water, along with affordable healthcare, at local hospitals due to the initiative of  Mumbai based CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) which will be distributing water purifying machines and oxygen enriching units in tribal schools and government hospitals free of cost.

With the view to develop the backward areas of the country using technological interventions, 38 Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) labs in the country were mandated to set up Gramin Vigyan Kutir (CSIR tech village) as part of the  CSIR 800 programme. 

Programme in-charge and senior NCL scientist P K Ingle said that this initiative will make a difference in the lives of people who are deprived of the basic amenities. That's why they decided to make machines to provide pure drinking water for tribals and oxygen enriching units for use in rural hospitals.

Thane, being the 10th largest district in the state, 14 per cent of its population comprise of tribals who  live in highly inaccessible areas which makes it difficult to provide them with power supply and other basic amenities.

The  cost-effective oxygen enriching machines are developed by Genrich Membranes Pvt Ltd and procured by NCL. The company’s Chief Operating Officer, Rajendra Kharul said that the  machine is capable of supplying up to 35 per cent concentrated oxygen enriched air which will be of great assistance to patients with severe lung disorders, asthma or COPD. 

The lab is also providing water purifying machines to government hospitals and ashram schools in the tribal belt .

The NCL is also sponsoring the construction of 20 toilets, particularly for girl students, in the ashram schools of Palghar.