Undiluted truth of clean drinking water: How to quench the parched earth

Systematic efforts can help achieve the goal of universal water supply by 2030

At Sonbardi village, in Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district, irrigation tanks, meant to be used by villagers in summer, are already running dry. In the past few years, fetching water has become a full-time occupation for the villagers. “It is only March and water shortages have already begun here,” said Mansur Khorasi, who is with Dilasa, a non-government organisation (NGO) working to revive traditional watershed management and rainwater harvesting techniques in Vidarbha.
 
Khorasi added, “Clean drinking water is a pipe dream for many here.” Even as World Water Day is observed on Wednesday, Khorasi estimated at least 50 per cent of