SDG 6
Clean Water and Sanitation
Every Drop, Every Life
Water is not a resource we “use.” It is the lifeline we share. Clean water and sanitation are not luxuries — they are human rights.
Without Water, Nothing Lives. Without Sanitation, Nothing Thrives.
2.2 billion people globally still lack safely managed drinking water.
In India, millions of people lack access to safe drinking water at home.
Poor sanitation leads to disease, missed school days, and lost productivity.
Yet, water is also a story of possibility: rivers, lakes, and rain can become engines of renewal — if we act with care.
💬 “The health of a nation can be measured by the purity of its water.”
A Thirst for Solutions
India has some of the most ambitious programs in the world: Jal Jeevan Mission, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, and smart water management projects.
Urban challenges: groundwater depletion, contamination, and unequal access.
Rural opportunities: rainwater harvesting, decentralized sanitation, women-led water committees.
The big question: Can India turn its water crisis into a water revolution?
💬 “India’s future will not be written in ink. It will be written in water.”
From Awareness to Stewardship
Awakening (14–18 years): Learn the value of every drop. Start rainwater harvesting at schools, lead cleanliness drives around water bodies.
Becoming (19–24 years): Pursue studies in environmental sciences, civil engineering, public health. Intern with NGOs or civic-tech groups working on sanitation.
💬 “Water warriors are not born. They are made — one choice, one community, one river at a time.”
Impacting (25–40 years): Innovate scalable water technologies, influence policy, lead CSR initiatives in water management.
Journeys That Ripple Into Change
🧩 Journey 1: Neha, 15 — “Awakening a River”
📍 Uttarakhand | School StudentCause: Plastic waste in local stream
Action: Mobilized friends for a monthly clean-up drive
Next Step: Petitioning school for a ban on single-use plastics
💬 “When I cleaned the stream, I felt I was cleaning my own future.”
🧩 Journey 2: Imran, 22 — “Becoming an Innovator”
📍 Bengaluru | Engineering StudentCause: Water scarcity in his neighbourhood
Action: Developed a low-cost IoT device to monitor water usage in apartments
Next Step: Piloting project with a local startup
💬 “Tech is not just for convenience. It can save water, and lives.”
🧩 Journey 3: Meera, 32 — “Impacting Through Policy”
📍 Delhi | Public Health SpecialistCause: Sanitation in urban slums
Action: Designed community toilets with solar lighting + menstrual hygiene support
Impact: 10,000+ residents now have safe sanitation
💬 “True dignity is when every woman has a safe toilet.”
Water Connects Every Pillar of Development
People: Clean water and sanitation are fundamental to health and dignity.
Planet: Water stewardship protects ecosystems, rivers, and oceans.
Prosperity: Industries and agriculture depend on reliable water.
Peace: Water scarcity can cause conflict — or cooperation.
Partnership: Shared rivers and shared goals demand shared solutions.
💬 “Water is the thread that weaves together survival, justice, and growth.”
Beyond Careers —Stewardship Begins with Daily Choices
Fix leaks, conserve water at home and school.
Reduce plastic use to prevent water pollution.
Volunteer with local lake or river conservation groups.
Support startups or NGOs building sanitation solutions.
💬 “Water saved by one person is life secured for another.”
Leading in the Age of Water Scarcity
Governments: Ensure universal access to piped water and safe sanitation, enforce pollution controls.
Private Sector: Adopt water-positive business models — from recycling wastewater to green manufacturing.
Both Together: Build resilient cities and rural communities where water is never a privilege, but a promise kept.
💬 “The true test of leadership today is whether we leave our children a planet with water to drink.”
