Despite rapid technological progress and economic growth, close to 900 million people the world over do not use drinking water from improved sources and over 2.6 billion lack access to decent sanitation facilities. This indefensible public failing, which is conspicuous in the developing world, comes with tremendous economic and social costs. Safe drinking water and basic sanitation, as United Nations organisations have often emphasised, help prevent water-related diseases. Specifically when it comes to diarrhoea, which kills 1.6 million annually, improved water supply reduces morbidity by 20 per cent while improved sanitation cuts it by 37.5 per cent. The indirect benefits of providing access to drinking water to households, such as the time saved by women and children — who are often carriers of this precious commodity from source — are reflected, for example, in better school attendance. The debilitating effect of the lack of sanitation facilities is seldom appreciated. A World Bank study placed the total economic impact of inadequate sanitation in India at Rs.2.44 trillion (6.4 per cent of India's GDP in 2006). Three ongoing UN initiatives spotlight the importance of water and sanitation: the Millennium Development Goals, the Water for Life Decade (2005-2015), and the annual World Water Day (March 22) which had “Water for Cities” as the theme this year.
India, its urban areas included, is a laggard, especially in sanitation. More than 37 per cent of urban India's human excreta is unsafely disposed of, posing significant health hazards. The country is also home to the world's largest number of persons who defecate in the open (665 million persons of a global total of 1.1 billion). Shockingly, 4,66,853 elementary schools did not have toilet facilities, going by the data for 2009. The crisis looming over urban India is best revealed by a central government survey between December 2009 and March 2010. In this exercise, which ranked the 423 class-I cities according to metrics set by the National Urban Sanitation Policy, not a single one was eligible to be in the top slot of a “green city” (which needed to score at least 90 per cent) and only four were “blue cities” (67 per cent to 90 per cent). With 189 cities categorised as “red” (less than 33 per cent), and the remaining 230 in the “black” zone, it is evident that India has a long way to go in providing this basic infrastructure, which not only offers minimum dignity to life but is the elementary requirement for a healthy society. High economic growth rates, even if they are sustained, do not such a society make.
Despite the scientific discovery made almost three centuries ago of the relationship between killer diseases and lack of safe drinking water and sewage facilities, we are yet to provide thess basic human neceesities to vast sections of our population. The cost of making these amenities available pales into insignificance compared with what our politicians transfer from the public coffers to their own private purses!
Safe drinking water is a must for all humans wherever they live. If that is denied, then there is no sense of humanitarian urge or responsibility. What is the use of governance, leadership, administration and nationhood? In India, more than half of the population since several centuries and especially after independence are accustomed to live the life without safe drinking water, electricity, proper mode of transport, dwelling units, clothing and on top of all two square meals a day. Life goes on, and yet the power and wealth intoxicated minds of the few can never even imagine what the hell of lives the majority live. Indian average population is undoubtedly the most powerful tolerant entity in the world which can face any adverse living conditions despite the country's bulging economic prosperity on books. When safe drinking water is not available, why do we talk of toilets? Many poor Indians despite lacking basic infrastructures do live more dignified than the affluent living more dignified and yet callous towards the society and India at large, and therefore the country remained as what the editorial reported and shall be so for a couple of centuries. We all should thank "The Hindu" to bring out this plight of the millions of a country which is poised to be the great economic giant in the coming future.
Mahatma Gandhi said that India lives in her villages. With peurile pardon, I adapt it as India decays and dies in her villages. The problem of faecal contamination of water and environment is not confined to towns. Water pollution goes unbridled in villages too. In the yore, by dint of frugal population density, open space defaecation constituted no threat to water sources in villages. But it has assumed dimensions of a grave threat to villagers these days. An advanced system of water recycling/purification has become the need of the hour to provide protected water supply to the mass. However, the present state of governance in the Centre or the States is any indication, hopes of common people turn out to be a mirage.
World Water Day had just passed by a day ago. The figures accompanying the article [“Water woes” dated 23rd March 2011, The Hindu] are quite shocking. The relatively poor sanitation facilities both in public domain and schools has once again reminded us how pathetic the life of an aam aadmi since her 63 years of independence. India being a UN Security Council member and an aspirant for permanent seat, must understand that the real growth not only lies in economic values but also in the human development (health). Although government had announced huge sums for infrastructure development in the past and in present budgets, yet it sounds poor implementation on these policies. That too in these days of rampant corruption being exposed, it’s quite obvious that these policies were no exception and are amicable to such inhumane practice. The plight of the citizens residing in rural India is unimaginable, as the so called RGB [Red, Green & Blue] cities are not up to the expected mark in providing basic infrastructure. Perhaps government has to understand that, in order to achieve MDG’s [Millennium Development Goals] it has to firmly believe that, “Today’s healthy children are future India”.
What alarming statistics of 'shining' India on the basic resource for the human survival. Today water bacame a commercial commodity inaccessible to the common man. Government should concentrate with a very serious plan to provide water for all instead of spending billions in games and other entertainments. We have a very effective electoral system. Every MLA should take care of his constituency to provide adequate facilities of basic human necessities such as water, toilets, roads, hospitals, schools etc. Is this not achievable? Indeed yes, but with the people having human pain in their hearts.
Despite help from many aid agencies we have not able to eradicate water supply and sanitation problems. Behind all this the only reason is the "corruption". If everyone in India decides to oppose the corruption, the country will turn in heaven. The problems of water,food, sanitation,health, education etc. will be solved. In this process only some people will be in loss.
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