The Blue Mile: WaterAid India’s first-of-its-kind run to highlight the struggle of millions for water

The Blue Mile is a first-of-its-kind run for water being organised by international not-for-profit organisation WaterAid India in Hyderabad on March 3, 2019 to sensitise people about the struggles of millions of Indians who do not have access to clean water.

With an aim to spread awareness about the importance of water and its conservation, the 10K run would start from People’s Plaza at Necklace Road (Near Hussain Sagar Lake) at 5am. To ensure maximum participation, 2.5k and 5k runs would also be held. To register for the run, please visit: https://www.wateraid.org/in/donate/the-blue-mile

Vikas Kataria, Director- Resource Mobilisation at WaterAid India said:

163 million people in India lack access to clean water close to home. The burden of fetching water is predominantly borne by women and girls, preventing them from reaching their full potential.

This run is an attempt to sensitise people about the importance of water that is so easily available to us at our doorstep while millions of other people struggle for each drop every single day of their life.

As per NITI Aayog’s Composite Water Management Index released last year, India is suffering from “the worst water crises” in its history, with about 600 million people facing high to extreme water stress and about two lakh people dying every year dying due to inadequate access to safe water. The lack of access to clean water also imposes a huge financial and health burden on some of the country’s most marginalised sections.

In Hyderabad, WaterAid India is currently working in 11 slums, 18 anganwadi centres and 30 schools to ensure access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene. In 2017-18, WaterAid India reached 2,09,971 people with access to clean water.

To support WaterAid India in ensuring access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene for everyone, everywhere, please donate at: https://www.wateraid.org/in/donation

ENDS

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Notes to editors

WaterAid

WaterAid is an international not-for-profit, determined to make clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene normal for everyone, everywhere within a generation. Only by tackling these three essentials in ways that last can people change their lives for good.

Working in India since 1986, WaterAid has successfully implemented water, sanitation, and hygiene projects, extending benefits to some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities across 11+ of India’s 29 States.

For more information, visit https://www.wateraid.org/in, follow @WaterAidIndia on Twitter, or visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WaterAidIndia.