In a study-based book that reveals sub-minimal levels of water consumption among the marginalised in urban India, BJP’s spokesperson on economic affairs Gopal Krishna Agarwal and Yuthika Agarwal have pressed for national policy that supports a minimum fixed quantity of water free-of-cost. The authors also recommend access to potable water as a statutory right.

The book titled “Water, An Element of Life: Price Stability and Consumption by the Marginalised” was released by RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabole on Friday. Others who spoke at the function included VHP President Alok Kumar, President of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) Ram Bahadur Rai and Ram Singh from Delhi School of Economics.

The book is the result of authors’ survey of six localities of different levels of household incomes in Delhi. The authors found that in slums and unauthorised colonies, potable water supply is much below the required quantity. The book also details measures to improve quality of water and its sources to push for better filtration and a more equitable distribution.

“Only 20 per cent of households in Sawada (a slum cluster in Delhi) have an optimal level of service that is near the norms laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). About 27 per cent have an intermediate level of service i.e. where per capita household consumption is between 40-100 litres per capita per day. The remaining 53 per cent of the households are consuming below LPCD… The lowest 6.67 per cent of the sample households are consuming extremely low levels of water. Maintaining hygiene is not possible at such a low level,” said the authors in their conclusions.

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