World Water Day: A pledge to provide sustainable water management and safe drinking water for all

–  Parag Kulkarni – 

With the World Water Day celebrated annually on March 22 knocking round the corner, it is time to resonate the words of Audrey Hepburn: “Water is life and clean water means health”. It is essential that everyone, irrespective of our caste, creed, ethnicity, financial and social backgrounds, gets an access to clean, drinking water. Keeping the same thought in mind, the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), has rightly themed this year’s Water Day as ‘leaving no one behind’. This goes on par with the promise on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development that focuses on the fact that as sustainable development progresses, everyone benefits. This promise ensures sustainable management of water for all by 2030.

Although the United Nations (UN) had recognized the right to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation as a human right long back in 2010, unfortunately, millions of lives are still deprived of an access to safe water due to several factors. To add on to the crisis, environmental degradation, climate change, population growth, conflict and compelled displacement and migration flows have also resulted in deprivation of access to water.

According to global reports released by the UN, 2.1 billion people live without safe drinking water at home and 80% of those who have to use unsafe and unprotected water sources, reside in rural areas. It is the prime responsibility of the water purifier manufacturers to work towards the mission of sustainable water management and providing an access to safe, drinking water to all. The first step towards having an access to safe drinking water is to know about the source of the water or where it is coming from. In case the water is supplied by a local water system, it is required to contact the provider or enquire about the source of the water from the provider’s website. Being aware of the source will certainly help one to understand the water related risks and accordingly take steps to remain safe.

It is also required to know about the common water contaminants present in the public water supply system that lead to major outbreaks like cholera, diarrhea, typhoid, viral hepatitis and more. Also, an individual must be aware of the ways by which the drinking water is tested. Change in colour, odour and taste of water may indicate that the water is unsafe. This is where water purifiers play an important role. However, we often get influenced by certain myths regarding water purifiers that need to be busted for efficient decision making and effective purification of water.

The most common myth that needs to be debunked is that water purifiers throw away the healthy essential minerals from water and are, therefore, not healthy. This, however, is not true. Water purifiers do not mess up with the essential minerals present in water as these have a wide range of health benefits. Minerals like calcium, magnesium and potassium keep bones, hair, skin and teeth healthy and strong and also contribute to the overall growth and development of the body. Today, RO purifiers come with special arrangements like TDS controller or mineralizer that helps in replenishing essential minerals from the purified water. The second myth suggests that boiling water is adequate to purify it which, again, is false. Although boiling the water can get rid of water-borne bacteria and viruses, it does not have any impact on chlorine content and cysts and does not eliminate turbidity, organic and inorganic impurities.

Once you have an access to purified, clean drinking water, you must try out ways to drink more water and keep hydrated during the summers. Setting a timer that reminds you to drink water every 2 to 3 hours, installing an app on your phone that reminds you to drink water frequently and always carrying a bottle full of water everywhere you go can be easy tricks by which your drinking water habit can be enhanced.

On this World Water Day, let us all promise towards having easy access to safe, drinking water for all. Although our planet is covered with 70% of water and only 30% of land, the Tiger Lillies had rightly sung ‘Water, water everywhere but not a drop to drink’. If the depletion of drinking water continues at the present rate and accessibility to safe drinking water is hindered, a dry day in true sense will inevitably befall, unless all the stakeholders for safe, drinking water embark on the procedure of greening the blue and head towards sustainability and accessibility to cleaner drinking water.

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