GOAL: Install 5000 filter systems for families living in one of the world’s largest slums
In Kolkata, India, the need for clean water is critical due to a combination of factors including heavily contaminated groundwater with arsenic and other heavy metals, inadequate water supply infrastructure, growing population, and a lack of proper sewage treatment, leading to significant public health risks and impacting the city’s quality of life if clean water access isn’t improved; this issue is further exacerbated by the over-exploitation of existing water sources like the Hooghly River and wetlands. Nearly 35% of the city population lives in slums, who have limited access to public sources, and very rare access to private ones. They generally only receive drinking water through a few stand posts. It is estimated that waterborne diseases have an economic burden of approximately USD 600 million a year in India. This is especially true for drought- and flood-prone areas, which affected a third of India’s population in the past couple of years.
Moreover, 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, which is known as 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.
Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, is the most important city for water supply in eastern India. The core Kolkata city is spread over around 200 square kilometres and has a population of 4.5 million people. It has also been one of the most water-abundant cities of India. The greater urban conglomeration includes 41 other cities and hosts nearly 15 million, making it the third largest city area in India.
