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Jul 2, 2024

WATER FACILITY- Facilitating clean drinking water in public places.

Water - The essential life giving resource of nature

A safe water supply is the backbone of a healthy economy, yet is woefully under prioritized, globally.  

Water is an essential resource for life on Earth, and its availability and quality play a crucial role in promoting public health and well-being.
Also water plays a critical role in maintaining the body's functions and is necessary for many bodily processes, including digestion, absorption, and transportation of nutrients. 
Inadequate access to clean water can lead to a host of health problems, including waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery.
Though one of the success stories in promoting access to clean water and sanitation facilities comes from India, where the Swachh Bharat Mission (Clean India Mission) was launched in 2014 with many others schemes in like Jal Jeevan launched after it in row.
As a result of this initiative, India has made significant progress in providing clean water.

Challenges and possible solutions

Safe drinking water is a right that millions in India are denied. 

The economically vulnerable or homeless cannot afford to have clean water to drink.

Ensuring clean drinking water access to people involve two steps.
1. Conserving available and rainwater.
2. ⁠Distribution and Facilitation of water at public places.
 
Two-thirds of India’s 718 districts are affected by extreme water depletion. One of the challenges is the fast rate of groundwater depletion in India, known to be the world’s highest user of this source due to the proliferation of drilling over the past few decades. Groundwater from over 30 million access points supplies 85 per cent of drinking water in rural areas and 48 per cent of water requirements in urban areas. (Source: JMP 2017)

Special attention  has  to  be stressed for places like railways, buses and bus stands, ships and jetties, market places, schools, colleges, cinema halls, theaters, etc which have high density of people or passersby at any given moment. This has become more  relevant with the high awareness about providing adequate water supply to everyone.
To facilitate safe and clean drinking water in public places, apart from government the NGOs and communities need to join hands and ensure installation of safe drinking water points in public places.

There have been numerous rounds of talks in UN and numerous schemes have been launched by the government, still the target of clean water access in India remains distant.
So, as citizens of India we need to come forward and collectively arrange for financing, apply for water connections to authorities and install water ATMs at public places.

Before that, measures to save and conserve water before distribution is to be ensured.
Water ATM systems are innovative solutions designed to provide safe and affordable drinking water to communities that lack access to clean water sources. Similar to traditional automated teller machines (ATMs) used for banking transactions, 'Water ATMs' function as self-service kiosks where users can access clean water by inserting coins, tokens, or using digital payment methods or free of cost also.

At the heart of Water ATM systems lies advanced filtration and purification technology, ensuring that the water dispensed meets the highest quality standards. These systems are typically connected to a water source such as a municipal supply or a natural water body. The water undergoes rigorous filtration processes, including sedimentation, activated carbon filtration, and UV disinfection, to remove impurities and pathogens, making it safe for consumption.

As communties we need to stop relying on government only, for facilitating access of clean water for all and contribute by installing water vending machines and water ATMs for poor and unprivileged.

Dera Sacha Sauda's relentless pursuit to provide safe drinking water to all

Philanthropist and NGO’s from various parts of nation are coming forward for the noble cause of ensuring the provision of safe drinking water for all, especially the underprivileged. 

Among them, Dera Sacha Sauda, a socio-spiritual organisation in Haryana being run under the guidance of Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh ji Insan has included facilitating clean water in public places as one of the welfare works among their 163 welfare works.  
Dera Sacha Sauda members mobilize their resources on a massive scale to help. Kiosks are set up in busy areas in public places where the needy are served without any discrimination. Water is the very basis of life. And the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda consider it their sacred duty to provide it to those who are in need. Ever since Dera Sacha Sauda was started in 1948 by Shah Mastana Ji, Dera members were using simple pitchers to serve waters to passersby. But with changing times, the means have evolved further. Today, the Dera followers organize drinking water kiosks and coolers at public places, so that those thirsty can quench their thirst. This includes railway stations, bus stands, busy streets etc. Wherever there is a shortage of water, massive tankers are rushed to rescue. The desert state of Rajasthan survived six successive years of drought on the help provided by selfless Dera Sacha Sauda volunteers. There have been instances where people even in remote locations of Andamans and Kashmir have received the precious gift of water from Dera Sacha Sauda.

Understanding the need for water in this scorching heat, Dera Sacha Sauda volunteers have placed clay pots and set up sweet water stalls for passing passengers. This thoughtful initiative ensures that everyone has access to cool water in this harsh summer, providing much-needed relief to those traveling under the relentless sun. These efforts exemplify the spirit of compassion and service.
Such commendable philanthropic efforts somewhere solve the pivotal issue of scarcity of clean water at public places in india.
Not only the volunteers collectively contribute for funds, rather they are present on roads serving passersby with drinking water, with great compassion and energy through out the months of summer.
And the service of offering water is done by all sections of society including all age groups .
Inculcating the mindfulness to understand the misery of common public and trying to resolve it is what Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan is doing at the ground level.
Not only facilitating provision of drinking water to public, Dera Sacha Sauda is relentlessly working on measures to conserve water in homes as well as communities under the guidance of Saint Dr. Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh Ji Insan.

Let's understand the profound significance of water in sustaining life and join the mega initiative of providing potable water to those in need while ensuring to save every drop of water.