To ensure that potable water is available to each and every individual in Assam, a community-driven initiative has been taken up by the Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) in tandem with the Eureka Forbes Institute of Environment.
A Northeast Today report stated that as part of this initiative, in 12 locations of Assam, 12 Aquaguard Water Purification Plants have been installed – nine of them being schools and the balance three being installed in public places. These water purification plants will provide access to pure drinking water at minimal cost.
Operational for approximately five hours, each water plant can supply up to 14,000 litres of safe drinking water in a day. These water purification systems have changed the lives of 7,441 residents.
India may be making strides on all fronts – but access to safe and clean drinking water still remains a distant dream in most parts of India. It is one of the cogs in the wheels of development in the country.
The report further stated that as per recent data, groundwater in 20 districts of Assam is tested to exceed the 0.01mg/l permissible level established by the World Health Organization (WHO). In most districts of Assam, the main source of water is groundwater but the same is not fit for drinking purpose as it is found to be hugely contaminated and is high in arsenic and fluoride content and is not fit for drinking purpose.
The Aquaguard water purification plants are state-of-the-art ones and experts in water purification have designed it in such a manner that every drop of water is treated by a nine-stage purification process. Water scientists and field experts at Eureka Forbes tested the water conditions before setting up these plants. The company customised the technology depending on the level of contaminants present in the water.
The modus operandi – a tanker comes in every day to supply water, which is pulled via motor into a water tank and then the water is treated by the carbon filter and sand filter through which the waste gets collected in one tank and the treated (clean water) in another.
Residents opine that the best part about this whole NRL-Eureka Forbes Institute of Environment initiative is that they have access to water cards that can be recharged at regular intervals. The cards have their names on it and all they have to do is – place the card on the machine and they get access to instant clean and safe drinking water at minimum cost.