The problem of global water access is as intransigent as they come. Clean water is the basis of health. In the geographic area in which we work, not only do the poor drink highly contaminated and dirty water, but many even have no awareness that the water is the reason for illness and death. To date, there has been no access to reliably clean water at an affordable price and no efforts made to address in this area. In Chittagong Hill Tracts drilling of tube wells for rural water supply is difficult due to the presence of hard formations in the subsurface. In most cases conventional drilling methods for the installation of hand pumps cannot penetrate these hard rock formations. The major sources of drinking and cooking water in CHT are not safe. Most tube wells have not been tested for arsenic contamination. People have to travel long distances to fetch drinking water and spend substantial amount of time for the same. ‘Shuvolong’ is the second Social Business of ASHIKA went on board with their 2nd joint venture social business project. The project addresses the drinking water crisis in the hill tracts of Rangamati and hence aims to provide safe drinking water to the people of the area at an affordable price.

The social business project focuses on production and supply of pure drinking water from ground water in jar/bottle and distribute to hotel, restaurant, office, education institute and households through hygienic way in addition to employment generation to uplift the quality of life of the community the area. Up to December 2017, 5 men are working as full-time in the project.

Grameen Telecom Trust invested amount BDT. 7, 88,000. ($ 9, 850), that is 69% of the investment. The project started selling bottled water from September 2017.