Drinking water
According to the WHO, 84% of Indians who don’t have access to improved water and sanitation live in rural communities. As per the latest Millennium Development Goals review by the UN; out of the 35 Indian states, only 7 have achieved full coverage of having a protected water source for their villages. Ground water in most cities and over 19,000 villages contains fluorides, nitrates, pesticides etc. beyond the permissible limits. Quality of drinking water thus continues to be a concern and this is reflected by the fact that about 21% of communicable diseases are water borne and 75% of water related deaths are that of children below five years.
A lack of safe water, adequate sanitation and good hygiene practices is directly linked to fatal diseases and conditions such as cholera and diarrhea.
So-FAR's mission is to transform the lives of the poorest and most marginalized people by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene.
The lack of drinking water and separate access to decent sanitation facilities in schools discourages children, especially girls, from attending school, in many cases causing them to leave school altogether.
