Ensuring Safe Water And Air For The Cities

Please tell us something about ‘Breathe Life’.

In a step towards implementing the vision of a healthy nation, Eureka Forbes, carried out a massive awareness campaign ‘Breathe Life’, in association with V Citizens Action Network (VCAN). As first leg of this campaign, we started with panel discussions highlighting the grave health risks faced by police personnel and citizens and provide corrective measures to tackle them. In addition we also conducted pulmonary ‘Lung Function Test’ on the traffic cops in Mumbai and Bangalore city with like-minded organizations to study the impact of rising air pollution. Through this initiative, Eureka Forbes is aiming to reduce the problem of air pollution and boost public health in the country. While there has been a significant increase in the awareness about vehicular, indoor and outdoor pollution in the country, there is a considerable lack of awareness of its long-term exposure on the health and well-being of people.

How important is clean air initiative for the Indian cities?

Over the past few months, India has been witnessing an alarming increase in air pollution and vehicular pollution has been one of the major contributor. Air pollution has both acute and chronic effects on human health, affecting a number of different systems and organs. It ranges from minor upper respiratory irritation to chronic respiratory and heart disease, lung cancer, acute respiratory infections in children and chronic bronchitis in adults, aggravating pre-existing heart and lung disease, or asthmatic attacks.

Research also reveals that those exposed to high levels of carbon monoxide and lead released from vehicles become extremely vulnerable to several respiratory diseases, including lung ailments, asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Infact, studies validate the irreversible and adverse neuro-development of lead exposure in children and adults.

We at Eureka Forbes aim to implement comprehensive pollution control plans to defend the health, lifestyle and livelihood of the society which is exposed to high levels of toxic air. We are hopeful to make a significant difference by driving awareness and delivering care solutions with the support of likeminded organizations.

Are you planning to launch similar initiative in smaller cities?

With the planned expansion of our air quality data monitoring services, we will be able to reach out to the Tier II and Tier III cities within a radius of 500 metres, across the country in the years to come and make the life of the people better.

Tell us about Eureka Forbes’ safe drinking water programme?

The company has set up water plants across the country on cross-sector partnership between gram panchayats, state governments, NGOs and local communities which aims to promote entrepreneurship in rural areas.

Water Shops give villagers the opportunity to not only run the plants but also sell water and generate a business module while working closely with the city based water distributors. Apart from good health, these water plants has helped in income generation for women in rural communities.

How Water Shops work?

The Water Shops are designed to achieve four major objectives: provide drinking water solutions, encourage local people to become stakeholders, create awareness about pure water and creating a larger social impact.

The dispensing system enables easy access to purified drinking water to communities at a price as low as 50 paisa per liter. Water scientists and field experts of Eureka Forbes test the water conditions first. Eureka Forbes has developed 17 different technologies to tackle 17 different water conditions in India.Depending on the level of contaminants, the company customizes the technology and installs a community plant. The high end automation ensures efficient operation of the plant with a central remote monitoring which continuously monitors performance of the plants and tracks maintenance due dates. Buyers can get the drinking water anytime without any operator dependency by using their unique Water Card which can be used to access any plant.