Frequent handwashing with soap is only one of the ways to prevent the spread of deadly viruses like COVID-19. Yet only TWO in FIVE rural households across India have access to clean running water at home, making it harder to defend themselves. Though mask use, physical distancing, and avoiding closed spaces are still recommended ways to defend against COVID-19 in conjunction with hand washing. Research by Wellcome Open shows that frequent handwashing with soap and water can reduce the spread of coronaviruses (flu-like illnesses) by around a third (36%).
In support of WaterAid’s campaign to bring clean drinking water to homes across rural India, legendary Indian cricketers such as WV Raman, Veda Krishnamurthy, Harmanpreet Kaur, along with a host of international cricketers like Hashim Amla, Amar Virdi, Rory Burns, Morne Morkel among others, have been trying their hand at defending the wicket with WaterAid’s specially designed bat. This bat is a quarter of the size of a standard cricket bat and it conveys the challenges people in India would be facing while trying to protect themselves against COVID 19 with inadequate access to clean running and drinking water at home.
Here is how you can help
See how the cricketers got on with their quarter-length bats:
In India, only 41% of rural households have access to clean drinking water at premises.
Source: JJM 2020
By 2030, the demand for water is expected to exceed supply by 40%.
Source: The 2030 Water Resources Group Report
As much as 70% of India’s water is contaminated due to lack of water management
Source: Composite Water Management Index, 2018
What WaterAid does?
While we work on the ground to ensure safe and equitable drinking water for vulnerable and marginalized communities, our work also ensures the provision of community-based piped water supply systems, rainwater harvesting & groundwater recharge structures. This helps millions of people across the country by bringing about long-lasting change. Besides this, we are also installing taps and ensuring accessible hygiene facilities in schools, urban areas, and thousands of villages across the country. Due to the strength of our independent research & analysis, we are able to work with government stakeholders to influence policy at the local, state, national and global level.
