DRINKING

WATER
 INTRODUCTION
o India has made significant progress in developing its water resources and
the supporting drinking water infrastructure. In fact, it has met the water
target for its MDG commitment and in doing so has contributed
significantly to the global achievement of this target.
o A safe water supply is the backbone of a healthy economy, yet is
woefully under prioritized, globally.
o It is estimated that waterborne diseases have an economic burden of
approximately USD 600 million a year in India. This is especially true
for drought- and flood-prone areas.
o Less than 50 per cent of the population in India has access to safely
managed drinking water.
o two-thirds of India’s 718 districts are affected by extreme water
depletion, and the current lack of planning for water safety and security
is a major concern. One of the challenges is the fast rate of groundwater
depletion in India.
o 40% of Indian will have no access to drinking water by 2030: NITI
Aayog
 FACTORS OF WATER IMPURITY
• In the name of water purification, most of the times water
is chlorinated.
• The pipes which carry the water, are old and leaking. This
leakages in pipes lead to contamination of water.
• In metropolitan cities, the demand for water is higher than
the supply. Therefore, this deficit in the water supply is
compensated by the mixing of surface water & groundwater
• Rapid urbanization has led the unequal distribution of
water, contamination/ depletion of local water bodies due to
pollution.
EFFECTS OF POOR QUALITY OF WATER
• Harmful health impacts: Nearly 70% of the diseases in India are
waterborne. Therefore, poor water quality is a great health hazard.
• Economic cost: Poor drinking water will lead to a reduction in
tourist inflow.
• Domino effect: Result of poor drinking water is the prime reason
for the sale of plastic bottled drinking water. However, this bottled
water gives rise to plastic pollution.
• Wasting resources: RO is expensive and for 1 litre of RO or
bottled water, many litres of water wasted.
Also, the RO water is deprived of essential minerals and salts.
• Social effect: With the given condition of the water crisis, it is less
likely to fulfil the target of providing everyone with safe drinking
water (Sustainable Development Goal number 6).
 REMEDIES
 Data based support system: Water quality should be tested
frequently and the findings should be made public.
 Mandatory compliance: Compliance to Bureau of Indian
Standards for water quality should be made mandatory for local bodies.
 Better management: Long-distance pipelines of water should be
discouraged and water treatment should be made more localized.
 Technological solution: Up-gradation of the water treatment plant
to remove toxic inorganic pollutants and dissolved solids.
 Rainwater harvesting: The reason why Mumbai's water is
relatively safer because it is sourced from rainwater (the purest source
of water).
STEPS TOWARDS SAFE DRINKING
WATER……………..
 Recently, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has prepared a
draft standard for the supply system of piped drinking water.
The draft has been titled as ‘Drinking water supply quality
management system — requirements for piped drinking water
supply service’.
 Jal Jeevan Mission:- Under this the Union government
envisages to provide water supply to every household by 2024.
 “Implementation of the Water- Related Goals and Targets of
the 2030 Agenda”- in UN Meeting on 19 March 2021.
 CATCH THE RAIN CAMPAIGN on day of WORLD WATER
DAY 2021 by PM MODI JI and funding from MNREGA. (Water
Conservation).
…………
o UNO : THE WATER CONVENTION AND THE
PROTOCOL ON WATER AND HEALTH. (2016)
o Jal Jeevan Mission launched by GOI: to provide safe and
adequate drinking water through individual household tap
connection by 2024 in Rural areas .
o Engineers of MIT make filters from tree branches
( Xylem) to Purify Drinking water.
o Nanoparticle sensor detect ARSENIC in Drinking Water
by Muhammad Abbas in APS March Meeting.
o ‘INSTAPURE’ (SDIC) initiative by MV Ramaswamy in
2019 got licensed in 2021.
Tree Filter by MIT Engineers
By Indian Railways
National Water Awards….