“Nal Se Jal” Program And Food Safety

I hope and pray that the Government’s new and ambitious program, to deliver tap water to all rural households, is immensely successful and meets it’s objective.
However, given the track record of many past government projects, and also the water scarcity everywhere, many people think the project will fail. This article is an example – https://thewire.in/environment/nal-se-jal-water-scarcity
However, I am hopeful that the program succeeds. Even a partial success would be a huge positive.
Pathogen infested, contaminated water is one of the biggest causes of disease and death in India. It is also one of the biggest reasons for early childhood diseases and therefore indirectly, stunting. Stunting leads to the child becoming an adult with stunted physique and stunted mental development.
There is no guarantee that all these new taps will carry pathogen-free water. Most of the taps in cities don’t. However, the fact that it is treated water and not from an open well or polluted stream/river will anyway have a significant impact.
This initiative, if successful, will significantly reduce the disease burden, and will improve the health, nutritional status, and well being of millions of people.