Larsen and Toubro Hydrocarbon Engineering as a part of their CSR programmes have partnered with Aga Khan Agency for Habitat India to undertake development programmes in relation to integrated village level development in Vasai Taluka. The aim is to develop community capacity in cluster of settlements within the villages to appreciate, understand and eventually implement sustainable practices and solutions for sanitation, health, hygiene and water security.

AKAHI has been working in 8 villages and 22 hamlets of Vasai taluka through support from LTEH. It has almost been five years (starting from 2017) that the agency has been working in various villages to improve water and sanitation scenario in the area. The programme was evolved in response to the tribal groups' crises, where there is a great need to focus on several aspects of generating a sustainable livelihood.

The main objective is a) To improve hygiene behavior and ensure availability of water to support hygiene practices; b) To facilitate the construction of sustainable sanitation units in households, schools and Anganwadi; and e) increasing income levels of local community members by using local forest-based resources.

Some of the activities initiated to achieve the project objective include

• Household sanitation units benefiting 2500+ people in the community, school sanitation units coupled with hand wash stations at 3 villages and 12 hamlets that are ODF free
• Trees planted with community to increase green cover, forest department
•  Improve water conservation through rain harvestin
• Improve water storage through stand posts, wells, and subsurface bunds are being restored to boost water supplies
• Solar streetlights for the entire hamlet providing lighting, reducing reliance on the National Grid, Solar grinding machine built in one village to generate income and solar pipeline drinking water system to make use of renewable energy

• The organization through EHIP program has made multiple initiatives in sanitation initially, with addition of water security interventions, and later with sustenance and mensuration through community led interventions.
• EHIP has facilitated construction of sanitation units through community support and made various interventions for improving access to water, water conservation and ground water management.
• Due to increased population sprawl, water consumption in Vasai region has increased. Water tables were dropping across the region since the rate of groundwater extraction is greater than groundwater recharge.
• By constructing subsurface bunds, we were able to effectively raise the water table by 3 feet.
• Water used to dry up by the end of March, communities now have access to water up to 5 feet deep in wells during the same period through the interventions which were backed with intensive engagement and support from the community which includes Self Help Groups, children, and women.
• AKAH India team has also started working on adopting alternate energy management systems, renewable energy source and further wants to expand the work to commence work on creating a sustainable livelihood.