THE CONTEXT
India has over 90 million children attending schools in rural areas, yet around 25% of government schools lack access to safe drinking water. This exposes approximately 22–23 million children to health risks associated with unsafe water. In Telangana (rural) alone, out of 30,023 government schools, 11,124 schools lack tap water supply, and 1,859 have no drinking water facility at all, underscoring an urgent need to address this critical gap to improve student health and educational outcomes.
PRANAV’S STORY:
THE WATER WE CAN’T IGNORE
THE PROBLEM
Across Telangana, safe drinking water remains a challenge in government and local body schools. A 2024 Social Audit of 660 schools, covering 6,872 students, found that only 27.2% of schools had RO-purified drinking water, while others depended on tap water, borewells and hand-pumps. With 17.6% relying on borewell water and 7% on hand-pumps, many students continue to depend on underground or untreated water sources that can carry contaminants such as bacteria, fluoride, arsenic and other pollutants.
Reference:
https://telanganatoday.com/telangana-government-schools-still-await-piped-drinking-water?
https://telanganatoday.com/telangana-govt-schools-still-await-piped-drinking-water?
The problem goes beyond drinking water. 34.7% of school kitchens had no running water, while only around 8% of schools had a designated dining hall, meaning many children eat in classrooms or corridors. For thousands of students, inadequate water and hygiene infrastructure can increase exposure to illnesses such as diarrheal diseases, gastroenteritis, typhoid and other water-related infections. For a child, something as simple as getting a safe glass of water at school should never be a risk.
THE SOLUTION
This initiative aims to install these RO water purifiers in schools in Telangana, which will help approximately 150 to 200 children per school to get safe drinking water over the period of 4-5 years.
30% + of rural children are stunted due to inadequate and unclean water. 37.7 million Indians are affected by water-borne diseases annually, with 1.5 million children dying from diarrhoea and typhoid each year.
The cost of installing a water purifier in a school with 150 to 200 children is INR 60,000. If the number of students is higher it costs more.
