Imagine walking into a rural school, where young children sip from a community water tank, unaware of the microscopic dangers lurking within. For years, the water they consumed unknowingly became a conduit for diseases like diarrhoea and typhoid — ailments that not only ravaged their health but also hampered their cognitive development. It’s a stark reminder of the gut-brain connection that influences lifelong mental health.

Such was the plight of school-going children in Phaltan, Maharashtra, who grew up with the constant presence of waterborne diseases as their unwelcome companions.

These illnesses loomed over their childhoods, shaping their days with bouts of sickness and recovery that repeatedly interrupted their education and stunted their physical and mental growth.

“When you start thinking deeply about any issue, like poor water quality, you realise just how interconnected it is with health, education, and future possibilities,” says Dr Anil Rajvanshi, Director at the Nimbkar Agricultural Research Institute (NARI) — a Maharashtra-based non-profit research and development institute focused on rural development.

Disturbed by the deplorable conditions in rural schools, Dr Rajvanshi was moved to act. His heart stirred with a deep empathy for the children, and he yearned to quench not just their thirst for water but their thirst for a healthier future.

Driven by the belief that clean water is........

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