1. Save Drinking Water By- Parul Goyal 10 th A BLOSSOMS SENIOR SECONDARY SCHOOL, PATIALA

2. Is purified Water necessary for all human beings? Water is essential to all living beings and we need water to keep us alive and healthy. The cleaner the water, the better it is for us so no side effects from contaminants that are in our water. Not all the water coming out of taps from the faucet are clean because they still can carry rust, lead, dirt and other contaminants.

3. So, in order to prevent all of these contaminants we need to clean and purify our water. The repeat consumption of contaminated water from dirty water pump can weaken our immune system. To avoid this, we must ensure that we must drink only the best and the purest water. So, in order to prevent all of these contaminants we need to clean and purify our water. The repeat consumption of contaminated water from dirty water pump can weaken our immune system. To avoid this, we must ensure that we must drink only the best and the purest water.

4. Benefits of drinking Purified Water 1)Purified drinking water minimizes the accidental exposure to toxins because it undergoes several processes that would make the water safe to drink. 2)The water passes through purified water technology that can filter out harmful contaminants. 3) Purified water can help eliminate mineral deposit and can build up cells.

5. 4) This also decreases stress load on our kidney. 5) Water that comes from a regular water pump usually has a rusty taste. 6) The water purified water pump cleanses the water which offers a cleaner taste that is good for everyday intake.

6. Can government provide purified water? The rural population of India comprises more than 700 million people residing in about 1.42 million habitations spread over 15 diverse ecological regions. It is true that providing drinking water to such a large population is an enormous challenge. Our country is also characterised by non-uniformity in level of awareness, socio-economic development, education, poverty, practices and rituals which add to the complexity of providing water. The health burden of poor water quality is enormous. It is estimated that around 37.7 million Indians are affected by waterborne diseases annually, 1.5 million children are estimated to die of diarrhoea alone and 73 million working days are lost due to waterborne disease each year. The resulting economic burden is estimated at $600 million a year.

7. The problems of chemical contamination is also prevalent in India with 1,95,813 habitations in the country are affected by poor water quality. The major chemical parameters of concern are fluoride and arsenic. Iron is also emerging as a major problem with many habitations showing excess iron in the water samples. The provision of clean drinking water has been given priority in the Constitution of India, with Article 47 conferring the duty of providing clean drinking water and improving public health standards to the State. The government has undertaken various programmes since independence to provide safe drinking water to the rural masses.

8. Till the 10th plan, an estimated total of Rs.1,105 billion spent on providing safe drinking water. One would argue that the expenditure is huge but It is also true that despite such expenditure lack of safe and secure drinking water continues to be a major hurdle and a national economic burden. On one hand the pressures of development is changing the distribution of water in the country, access to adequate water has been cited as the primary factor responsible for limiting development. The average availability of water is reducing steadily with the growing population and it is estimated that by 2020 India will become a water stressed nation.

9. Using Innovative, Low-cost Solutions to Provide Safe Drinking Water in India P.Venkatesh, a resident of Boduppal village in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh, is a carpenter of modest means. The ever- increasing price of essentials has forced him to cut corners to save each paisa as he struggles to look after his family of four. But despite all odds and after much deliberation, three months ago he decided to make provision for yet another non- negotiable in his monthly budget -- drinking water. At around US$4 a month, water is a "luxury" that Venkatesh must necessarily indulge in. It is a ticket to his family's continued health and safety. So, each day without fail he takes his jerry can to the Water Health Centre located close to his house and spends 14 U.S cents to buy 20 litres of its Dr. Water brand of drinking water. “Earlier, we used the water provided by the gram panchayat [the local self-government]. It wasn’t good for health…. It contains fluorides. I think I have taken a good decision by investing in Dr. Water,” says Venkatesh. A large number of epidemiological studies have indicated that long-term exposure to fluorides from drinking water can lead to several health-related problems, such as decaying teeth and weak bones.

10. Set up by the U.S.-based Water Health International (WHI), the Water Health Centre is essentially a community water system installation that employs advanced engineering utilizing off-the-shelf technologies, such as UV light disinfection and multi-stage filtration, to remove silt, bad taste and odours. Apart from a water treatment plant, the centre includes a small landscaped area for where members of the community can socialize. Water Health began work in India in 2006 and has so far set up 500 treatment plants across the states of Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka. The capacity of each plant ranges between 1,000 and 3,000 litres per hour. Most of the plants are located in rural or semi-urban areas. The company currently has a customer base of one million people in the country, but the overall population of the catchment area that it serves comprises five million people. Water Health International (WHI)

11. Global water fund :- Government services Government’s capacity to resolve economic, environmental, and social problems is increasingly challenged, and new holders of wealth are being called to identify and address these societal problems. Innovation and technology are essential in developing and implementing new solutions that can provide sustainable development. More than ever, governments and business need to work together to address environmental issues in order to achieve their respective responsibilities to the communities they govern and serve. Transparent governance structures are needed to allow for industry to continue to provide technology and knowledge so greatly needed for economic growth and structural transformation, key ingredients for sustainable development.

12. The Global Water Fund assists government in the following way: Assisting government with national strategies for water resources. Assisting government with poverty reduction strategies. Assisting government with financing infrastructure. Help government develop national water strategies for poverty reduction. Provide technical expertise on desalination and wastewater and solar water technologies.

13. Assess political and economic consequences of new technologies in emerging markets. Prepare country reports and analyzing risk in potential markets. Designing scenarios of consumption, supply and demand, and scarcity of resources. Identify competitors across business segments in various countries. Evaluate current government strategies and impact of new products on national security measures.

14. Goal : Eradicate Extreme Poverty and Hunger Why Government Should Act:  Lack of clean water and sanitation - major cause of poverty and malnutrition.  1.1 billion lack access to water.  2.6 lack access to proper sanitation.  Diseases and productivity losses linked to adequate water and sanitation (around 2% of GDP average, UN Source).  In poorest countries, only 25% of poorest have access to piped water.  Poor household can pay as much as 10x as wealthy households.  Water vital for poor farmers who live on less than $1 a day.  Pressure to re-allocate water from agriculture to industry threaten rural poor.

15. Government Should:  Bring water and sanitation into mainstreams of national and international strategies.  Make water a human right (with a minimum access of at least 20 litres per day).  Increase public awareness.  Increase public investment in urban areas and water provision in rural areas.  Introduce lifeline tariffs and other subsidies.  Regulate water utilities to ensure equity.  Introduce public police that involve water resources for agriculture.  Support development of smart irrigation technologies.

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