The Indian population is estimated to increase to 1.6 billion by the year 2050. As per a report by ICAR, India’s per capita water availability is projected to decline to 1,465 cubic meters by 2025 and by 2050, it will further drop to 1,235 cubic meters. India will be declared a water-stressed country if these figures drop below 1,000 cubic meters.
14-year-old Rishabh Prashobh, a class 9 student has managed to come up with a solution to solve the problem. He launched the Jal Mission and saved 70 lakh litres of water in a year by installing aerators in water taps at hotels, his school and his housing society, The Better Indian reported.
Aerators helped in cutting the flow of water by more than half and can save up to 1,274 litres of water a month.
“Though I read about several crises including air pollution, one thing that caught my eye was water scarcity, because this problem was something I noticed first hand in Bengaluru. I saw that several ponds were drying up, and watched the news on lack of water supply to several households,” Rishabh said.
He added, “At the household-level, the best way to reduce water consumption is by fitting aerators in water taps. Usually, the taps in our kitchens and bathrooms release 6 litres of water per minute, and aerators can cut them down to 3 or 4 litres.”
“Within a month of fitting just one aerator, we noticed a 30% drop in my grandmother’s water bill. Earlier the bill was around Rs 340, but the rate dropped to around Rs 250,” said Rishabh.
In August 2019, once Rishabh was convinced that aerators could work as a solution, he approached the Residents’ Association of his society, explained the solution, and showed them proof of his grandmother’s water bill. He was given the opportunity to speak to all residents of the society, who unanimously agreed to implement the solution.
Two aerators were fit in each apartment. One at the kitchen sink and the other in the wash-basin in the bathroom. Each household paid for the aerators, which cost approximately Rs 300 each.
“Within one year, the apartment community was able to cut down on their water consumption and save 20 lakh litres of water,” says Rishabh.
In August 2019, Rishabh approached two Marriott hotels in Cochin, Kerala and presented his idea to the General Manager of the hotel.
