Salt Flats of Sambhar Salt Lake

The Sambhar Salt Lake is India's largest lake, situated in east-central Rajasthan. The population that lives nearby are facing increasing water shortage not just due to changing rain patterns and the rapid desertification of the state, but also as the salt lake has salinated the groundwater supply for many kilometres around. With no alternative in the dry months, many are forced to drink the heavily-salted water. Yet in Kotri village, Ajmer district, residents can now draw clean drinking water from a reverse osmosis plant powered by solar photovoltaic panels. The technician who cares for the system is a local villager who received little formal education yet learned to manage the plant in just six days. Around one thousand people draw safe water from the plant, which produces 500-600 litres of fresh water per hour.