As the world observes 2017 World Water Week from August 27-September 1, over 180 million people lack basic drinking water in countries affected by conflict and unrest.
And for India, where per capita availability of fresh water declined by more than 50 pc in the past 50 years, preserving every drop of groundwater is critical to its water security.
Though there’s adequate fresh water for every one on the planet, inappropriate management and infrastructure makes thousands of people lose their life each year from diseases associated with inadequate water supply, sanitation and hygiene.
After all, how far can we go without clean water?
The theme touches the core of people’s daily lives and also looks at changes that needs to be made, especially by the primary water users, including industries, energy producers and farmers.
#WaterWomen Women play critical roles in aspects of water governance, yet they are visibly missing from the water dialogue.
Thus, to spread awareness about water week and promote the role of women as decision makers, water managers and effective water users, through #WaterWomen campaign and photo contest, SIWI aims to collect images that illustrate these important roles and tell the stories of women as invaluable water managers, decision makers and users.
This plant is the only source of clean water as tube wells in the vicinity have been found to be contaminated by arsenic.
Like Das, people in the Madhusudan Kati village, West Bengal had been drinking water from the wells for the last 20 years without knowing that the water was poisonous, till they found symptoms of illness, which doctors then detected to have been caused by the contaminated water in the village.
Apart from access to safe drinking water for women and children, performance of services and institutions, including schools and health centers, is also impacted.