Safe Drinking Water
Safeguarding Lives: The Vital Importance of Safe Drinking Water in the Tribal Villages of Melghat
In the heart of Central India, amidst a beautiful landscape with large forests and rich cultural heritage, lies a pressing challenge threatening the very essence of life: access to safe drinking water.
The tribal villages across this region are exposed to water sources contaminated with microbial pathogens. Rivers, streams, and wells, once lifelines for these communities, have become sources of danger, harboring invisible threats that compromise health and well-being. The consequences of this crisis are tragically evident, with alarmingly high child mortality rates in the tribal villages of Melghat.
Unsafe drinking water is a breeding ground for diseases such as cholera, typhoid, hepatitis, and diarrhea which claim countless lives each year, especially among vulnerable populations like children and the elderly.
Access to safe drinking water is a fundamental human right, yet millions around the world are deprived of this basic necessity. WHO estimates that diarrheal diseases alone result in over 1.5 million deaths annually, with the majority occurring in developing regions where access to clean water is scarce.
Drinking water disinfection emerges as a crucial intervention in this battle, eliminating harmful pathogens, rendering water safe for consumption.
By enabling safe drinking through the distribution of drinking water disinfection in the tribal villages of Melghat, our project can forge a path toward a healthier, more equitable future for all. Safe drinking water is not only a matter of survival but of dignity, justice, and the fundamental right to life.
"Water is critical for sustainable development, including environmental integrity and the alleviation of poverty and hunger, and is indispensable for human health and well-being."
- United Nations
Water Source: Open Well
Villagers in one of our project villages, collecting drinking water from an open well.
Water Source: River
Villagers in Melghat, collecting water from a river.
An open well in one of our project villages, used for drinking water supply
Water Source: Hand Pump
A handpump as drinking water source in one of our project villages: Lab tests of the raw water sources in our project villages have shown that all handpumps deliver contaminated water.
Hygiene Conditions in Households
This picture shows observations on the hygiene conditions in households within Melghat, characterized by the presence of unclean water storage containers and unclean water collection vessels, frequently accompanied by the proximity of animals.
Open sewage lines in one of our project villages:
Such open sewage lines pose an ideal environment for the spread of waterborne diseases.
WASH (Water, Sanitation & Hygiene) in Melghat and the "fecal - oral route":
According to our observations in the tribal villages of Melghat, only 10 - 15 % percent of the rural households have a toilet. The rest of the population is forced to use open defecation areas. Toilets are still a luxury for many.
Open defecation areas, if near to the water well used as drinking water source, lead to contamination of the drinking water sources with pathogenic germs. This is a part of the socalled "fecal - oral route".
The "fecal – oral route" describes a particular route of transmission of diseases wherein human pathogens in fecal particles pass from one person to the mouth of another person. Main causes of fecal – oral disease transmission include lack of adequate sanitation (eg from open defecation), and poor hygiene practices.
If soil or water bodies are polluted with fecal material, humans can be infected with waterborne diseases.
Disinfection of drinking water stops this transmission line for waterborne diseases.
Cholera Outbreak in Melghat
In the summer of 2022, before the start of our project, several villages in Melghat faced a cholera outbreak.
It was a difficult time for the communities. (Pic: footage from Indian Television)