| Sustainable Livelihood | Health | HIV/AIDS/Trafficking | Safe Drinking Water | Panchayati Raj Institutions |

Safe Drinking Water

In India most water sources are contaminated by sewage and agricultural runoff.  An estimated 400,000 children under five years of age die each year due to diarrhoea. Several million more suffer from multiple episodes of diarrhoea and still others fall ill on account of Hepatitis A, enteric fever, intestinal worms and eye and skin infections caused by poor hygiene and unsafe drinking water.

The situation is particularly grim in slum areas of large cities. The citizens in Lucknow slums are forced to consume contaminated water supplied by old dilapidated pipelines, which often draw sewage and other contaminants from sewage lines running close by.

To tackle the situation, Pratinidhi is promoting use of Point of Use (POU) water purification methods. Under this awareness is being created among residents of 52 slums in Aliganj area of Lucknow regarding use of safe and hygienic drinking water. An enabling environment is being created to increase use of POU devices amongst low income households.

As the financial base of slum-dwellers is very weak, Pratinidhi has resorted to social marketing of water purifiers. The community is being extended small loans to enable it to purchase these appliances.

Also read Social Marketing and Microfinance.