At least one in five persons does not have access to safe drinking water. This was one of the stunning facts that residents of many areas learnt on Friday, when World Water Day was marked.
The Centre of Excellence for Change, a voluntary organisation comprising engineers of Water Resources Department, started its week-long celebrations by distributing over 50,000 pamphlets across the city. Several volunteers were seen giving pamphlets to commuters in seven railway stations, including at Avadi and Tambaram, banks and residential localities.
Office-bearers of the Centre said that the pamphlets have details on methods to conserve water by measures such as use of buckets instead of hose pipe while washing cars, which can save 300 litres of water. “Our idea is to promote water conservation at individual level. We will distribute 50,000 more pamphlets in educational institutions in other parts of the State,” said one of the members.
The centre plans to reach out to school students through ‘million steps to water’ programme this week. At least 10 schools would be covered through the programmes. Similar initiatives would be taken up in other districts too and in 150 model villages created by the centre to drive home the message of preserving surface and ground water, which is becoming scarce resource.
