India: Behrampada Floods

Emily and I went back to Behrampada today after a few days of heavy rains. We went with Suresh to check a the test filters that we had placed in Behrampada. Since it had been raining a couple days prior, the streets of Behram were flooded, and we tried to not to think about what was in the water as we maneuvered our way through the maze that is Behram.

One of the main streets in Behram.



Some of the pipes that bring water into the slums. Many of these pipes run through garbage and sewage, meaning that during times of little or no pressure (water only comes between 5:00 and 9:00 am), all of this filth infiltrates into the pipes.





It's amazing how dark it can be while you walk around even though it is bright, sunny, and early in the afternoon.



Suresh and a 5-micron pre-filter bag.







A few boys were following us, giggling.



Filter.



A little girl.



Sewage, yum.



Flooding in the main road. We rolled up our pants and walked through anyway.







After going to Behrampada, I decided to cross the train tracks and go to the Holy Family Hospital located on the other side of Bandra. I would rant about the amazing difference between Bandra Easy and Bandra West, but I'll wait until another day.

At Holy Family Hospital, there were these two Italian women who were working on a fair trade project wherein women in the slum communities would hand-sew bags with materials that were provided to them, and they were given fair wages for their work. That day, I believe I acquired one too many bags, but they are so beautiful!



When I arrived, people from Canara Bank were there hosting a small event and providing shoes to elementary school children.