The World Health Organisation (WHO) said that Telangana took an extremely beneficial initiative to provide protected drinking water to every household through Mission Bhagiratha. The project helped in preventing diarrhoea and deaths caused by it. If the Central government implemented the same across the country about 1.20 lakh deaths could be averted. The Centre’s `Har Ghar Jal’ is inspired by the Mission Bhagiratha of the Telangana government.
Water contamination, lack of sanitation, and absence of individual care lead to the spread of Diarrhoea. India ranks over 50 among 135 countries in terms of contaminated water, lack of sanitation and individual care. It ranked 54 in terms of lack of sanitation. Due to Diarrhoea, as many as 1.20 lakh people are dying in India. If the Central government completed its Jal Jeevan Mission by 2024, many lives can be saved, the report said.
In Telangana state, the incidence of Diarrhoea had come down in the past two years. The government took up Mission Bhagiratha with Rs. 40,000 crore and completed the project in a record time, the WHO observed. Contamination of water is a thing of the past as every household is getting safe drinking water liberating people from the fluoride menace. In 2020, a total of 7,931 cases of Diarrhoea were reported in districts which came down to 4,116 in 2022. This has further come down to 1,127 now. The cases came down by 86 per cent in Telangana state, the WHO said.
By Gollapudi Srinivasa Rao