More than 10,000 people in Bhagalpur and Buxar districts of Bihar have been given access to life-saving clean, drinking water through Halma plc’s Water for Life campaign in partnership with WaterAid.
Halma plc, the global group of life-saving technology companies, teamed up with WaterAid to tackle the issue of safe drinking water in one of the Arsenic belts, which is heavily contaminated by poisonous levels of arsenic, putting people’s health at risk. Through a unique partnership, WaterAid drew upon Halma’s expertise, technology and fundraising to help address one of the world’s long-term challenges: the increasing demands on water, a life-critical resource.
“Access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities to all can become a reality with collaborative efforts of numerous stakeholders. The support from Halma over the last two years has not just made it possible for us to provide access to safe, adequate and assured water to thousands of people in Bhagalpur and Buxar, but has also enabled us to add value to existing governmental efforts by building community capacities to plan and manage their systems. Halma’s support has also enabled us to focus on sustainability of existing water sources by investing in rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge structures,” said VK Madhavan, Chief Executive, WaterAid India.
To tackle water accessibility and quality, WaterAid and Halma’s global group of 45 companies, joined forces to raise funds and lend their expertise to provide:
- The supply of over 18,000 water quality tests
- Installation of new water filter systems in 70 schools and healthcare facilities
- Over 7,000 people safe water during floods
- Training of 1,800 local volunteers to become community water testers
Palintest, a Halma company specialising in water quality testing, donated its portable test kits to support the campaign. Its Wagtech Potalab kits enabled nearly 50 drinking water sources to be tested for several dangerous contaminants in Bhagalpur and Buxar districts. Palintest also sent 18,000 individual arsenic tests, ensuring that families in the affected villages and surrounding region can now be kept safe from arsenic contaminated water.
“Access to clean water is fundamental to good health and well-being, but millions are deprived of this basic need. Water contamination due to high levels of arsenic and iron is a serious issue for people of Buxar and Bhagalpur, Bihar, who have also reported several health complications ranging from skin lesions, discolorations to heart diseases,” said Prasenjit Datta, Managing Director, Halma India.
“Through the Water for Life, we ensured that this community now has access to clean and safe drinking water. It has been overwhelming to see how technologies, such as specialised testing kits by Halma water company Palintest, can help raise awareness of water quality issues and make a lasting impact,” he added.
“We see a marked difference on people’s livelihoods now they have clean water. By equipping members of local communities with skills, technology and expertise, they can focus on taking care of their families and making a living,” said Shaurya Sheoran, Product Manager, Palintest. “We’ve witnessed the transformational impact of clean water, especially when we all work together.”
Halma is committed to growing a safer, cleaner, healthier future for everyone, every day. Nearly two thirds of its revenue in 2022 contributed to four UN Sustainable Development Goals that are most aligned to its business: health, clean water, infrastructure, sustainable cities. The Halma-WaterAid partnership is aligned to goal 6: clean water and sanitation for all.
Halma’s water companies are focused on making water safer, by enabling 200 million water tests annually, including more than 5 million as part of international relief and development efforts.
For more on how Halma and WaterAid are transforming thousands of lives with safe drinking water, please watch this video.
About Halma plc
Halma is a global group of life-saving technology companies, focused on growing a safer, cleaner, healthier future for everyone, every day.
About Halma India
For over 15 years, Halma has been operating in India to accelerate the business in the Indian market for over 40 of Halma’s global companies across safety, environment, and health markets. Headquartered in Bengaluru and with offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Tanjavur, and Vadodara, the India hub provides strategic services in research and software development, engineering, talent acquisition, marketing, and trading operations. To learn more, please visit the Halma India website: https://bit.ly/3ZW6VN2
About WaterAid India
WaterAid India is a not-for-profit organisation and part of the global WaterAid network which seeks to improve access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene for everyone, everywhere. Since 1986, WaterAid India has successfully implemented water, sanitation, and hygiene projects to transform the lives of the poor and the most marginalised. In India, WaterAid is present in 13 states and 45 districts/cities/towns.
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