Human rights, humanitarian rights, legal rights, and basic human rights – as we say in Swedish – ‘kärt barn har många namn’ (a loved child goes by many names).

Another thing that goes by many names is uisce, vatten, eau, Wasser, agua, and acqua.

Water, something we take for granted. It is something everybody should be able to take for granted. We let it run & drop. We use over 100 litres to wash ourselves just because it’s nice. We forget how long the glass of water was standing there so we throw it out. We forget to take with us the empty refill bottle so we buy a new one. We fancy a bit of sparkling water with a taste of synthetic pineapple so we buy some.

Recognise yourself?

Lucky you!

Recognise that we are fortunate enough to be able to enjoy one of the most basic human rights that should be granted everyone – access to affordable and clean drinking water.

Imagine not being able to afford to buy clean drinking water. Imagine having to drink the water from the same place where you do your washing and attend to your other ‘needs’.

How long do you think you would stay healthy and have the strength to go to work and provide for your family? How easy would it be for you to concentrate on your studies? How long would you survive?

Lack of access to clean drinking water is a reality for millions of people in India (and around the world). Only a quarter of the population in India is provided with clean drinking water, only 67% treat their water despite the high risk of it being contaminated. 12% has no access to drinking water (www.unicef.org).

Cleansing power

Water has a special meaning in India. The Hindu culture believes in the physical and spiritual cleansing power of water. It is perceived as a carrier of life and destroyer of evil. It features in ancient tales and art – even the etymology of the word derives back to water – to ‘Indus River’.

So, close your eyes, imagine being a part of a movement that delivered water to all of India through taps. Taps that are strategically placed in communities and cities, where people could, for a cost lesser than that of bottled water, collect affordable and clean drinking water. Does it sounds too good to be true? Well it’s not.

amrutDhara is “a social enterprise for reducing the use of bottled water by offering a safe, cost-effective and environment friendly alternative” to all of India. It will not only have a massive impact on the health of people but also on the environment.

Get on board

amrutDhara needs supporters; they need some help with getting the Indian Government and policy makers onboard. They need people that can help them get a national campaign off the ground. Do you want to be a part of it?

All you need to do is connect to amrutDhara on Twitter and Facebook, share with your friends, talk about water, tweet about water, post pictures about water, write a song about water if you want – whatever – as long as you raise your voice!

Help make water a carrier of life instead of carrier of disease. Drink your next glass of water knowing that you are a part of enablingmillion of others to do the same!

//Angela Fjordmark, Linnaeus University

To find out more, visit http://www.amrutdhara.in