Switch to हिंदी

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

Health, Fitness, Beauty & Diet | Pregnancy & Parenting | Diseases & Home Remedies | TheHealthSite.com

हिंदी
  • Health A-Z
  • Diabetes
  • Diseases
    • Type 1 Diabetes
    • Type 2 Diabetes
    • Cancer
    • Heart Attack
    • Pneumonia
    • Diseases A-Z
  • Diet & Fitness
    • Weight Management
    • Exercise & Body Building
    • Diet & Recipes
    • Yoga
  • Coronavirus
  • News
  • Pregnancy
    • Conceiving
    • Infertility
    • Labour & Delivery
    • Pregnancy week-by-week
    • Breastfeeding
    • Baby Names
  • Beauty
    • Skin
    • Hair
    • Grooming
  • Photos
  • Videos
Home / Healthcare in India / Satyamev Jayate: Will we have any safe and potable water left?

Satyamev Jayate: Will we have any safe and potable water left?

Today's Satyamev Jayate episode dealt with the dire water situation in the county. Despite India being one of the cradles of civilisation (The Indus Valley Civilisation) and lying in one of the most

By: Pavitra Sampath   | | Updated: June 9, 2014 2:34 pm
Tags: Aamir Khan  Foetal growth  Mother and child health  Satyamev jayate  Satyamev Jayate episode  Water  Water shortage  

aamir-waterToday’s Satyamev Jayate episode dealt with the dire water situation in the county. Despite India being one of the cradles of civilisation (The Indus Valley Civilisation) and lying in one of the most fertile and water-blessed regions in the world, water-scarcity is a constant problem here. Adding to the scarcity is the huge health problem we are all exposed to. With our main water sources – the rivers – going ‘dead’; our ground water getting infused with toxic elements like arsenic, cadmium and lead, we are now only seeing the tip of the iceberg when it comes to health hazards caused by non-potable water. Read on to find out more shocking facts revealed in this episode of Satyamev Jayate about the water we drink and how various individuals and communities are making their efforts for the cause. Also Read - 10 health risks of dehydration

Also Read - Drinks for weight loss--Can honey and lemon water help?



To outline the apathy of the country, Aamir Khan threw light on the conditions in various villages across the country where water had become the difference between life and death. In villages, like Peepli and Bharghar, womenfolk walk hundreds of kilometres every day, under the scorching sun to get water every day to get water. Although villages have it bad, cities aren’t really oases either, with residents of Mumbai and Gurgaon speaking about their watery woes. Even posh localities like Delhi’s Vasant Vihar have these problems. Also Read - Don't you drink enough water? You may get erectile dysfunction

The show highlighted a case in a village called Usman Nagar where a child lost his life under the wheel of the tanker when a scuffle for water broke out. He was crushed under the wheel of the tanker. Another village that spoke about its plight was Niloba. A villager explained how people left weddings and funerals to fill water!

Aamir highlighted various incidents from across the country where water was the sole reason for dispute, states fighting each other about how much of the water was rightfully theirs.

Anupam Mishra, a leading environmentalist and water conservationist told us how during the British Raj, the Mysore kingdom had over 14,000 lakes but the British neglected them, charged for their use and let them go to waste. He reiterated how we needed to take care of our water sources. He also highlighted how we have made the ground porous and since the water table has depleted, we are drinking water infused with arsenic, cadmium and lead.

The plight of the Yamuna and the Ganga

The Satyamev Jayate team did a small survey on the major rivers in our country. Their findings were shocking. They found that the rivers despite being the only source of water were also the main waste disposal zone. Industrial waste, medical waste as well as the remnants of religious rites, find a home in these rivers we call our mother. Manoj Mishra from the Yamuna Jiye Abhyan spoke about the state of our rivers. He said that out of 1,400 km of the Yamuna, 800 km have been declared ‘dead’ . This stretch covers Panipath to Itwah. It provides water to Delhi and Mathura. He talked about how people who go to Vrindavan to purify their souls instead end up drinking and bathing in 100% sewage water.

The assembled audience was visibly shocked. Aamir pointed out that though there were laws in place that prohibited waste disposal, people often flouted these rules. He also talked about the factors that lead to a river being called ‘dead’. There are mainly 2 categories.

1. DO (dissolved oxygen)

2. Coliform level

The DO in the Yamuna was found to be 0% while the coliform level was very high. The Ganga’s state is the same if not worse. In a stark contrast the Satyamev Jayate team outlined how due to stringent laws, rivers abroad such as the Thames, Danube, Charles, the Singapore river and Mare Darling were pristine and had managed to preserve their cleanliness.

Ravi Agarwal from ‘Toxic Link’ pointed out the health hazards of polluted water. He said that even if we clean the water that has been polluted with industrial wastes it is impossible to remove the heavy metal content from the water. He said that in Delhi and Banaras the level of lead in spinach was found to be so high that it was inedible. Lead is toxic for a child’s brain and central nervous system. Another toxic element, mercury can be transferred from mother to a child’s womb or through breastfeeding. Factories too don’t go to pains for waste disposal because of the added cost. They simply use the method of ground water injection which causes almost 40 km of water to get contaminated.

The show then highlighted the efforts of various communities and individuals who wanted to fight this problem. Narsingh Bondapa put up small dams and reservoirs in their village to collect water which provided for the village and its neighbours. Hanumanth Kendre from Nagdarwadi village started rainwater harvesting and made small reservoirs whereas Hiware Bazare stopped using tube wells.

Another village, Nalagonda started growing crops which required less water. Ramanathapuram in Tamil Nadu cleaned up its reservoirs and lakes and managed to refill depleted water levels within one rainfall sessions.

The practice of rain water harvesting was made compulsory by the Chennai government under the supervision of IAS officer Shanta Sheela Nair. She enforced the law that within a year all houses and industries had to install rain water harvesting systems. Even though there was resistance the move has shown a lot of improvement in Chennai’s water woes.

Another example was of Navin Chandra from Sea line society, Mumbai who installed rain water harvesting units and now 40% of his society’s water comes from rain water. He claims the system is self-sustaining and will last for five years. In the end Aamir, evoked the example of frogs who die when placed in slowly heated water and pointed out we were like the frog and unless we woke up to our water issues we’d all die. Water resources need to be restored and rescued by one and all.

Read more about causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of lead poisoning.

For more articles on diseases & conditions , visit our diseases & conditions section. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest updates! For daily free health tips, sign up for our newsletter. And to join discussions on health topics of your choice, visit our forum.

Published : July 22, 2012 3:33 pm | Updated:June 9, 2014 2:34 pm
Read Disclaimer

Uddhav Thackeray to be discharged on Monday

Uddhav Thackeray to be discharged on Monday

Rajasthan man alleges docs removed his two-year old son's kidney

Rajasthan man alleges docs removed his two-year old son's kidney

Please Wait. Article Loading ....

Health Calculators

BMI Calculator
bmi Calculator
Ideal Body Weight
ideal body weight
Daily Calorie Intake
Daily calorie intake
Calories Burned
calories burned

Trending Topics

Weight Loss
Weight Loss
Keto Diet Tips
Keto Diet Tips
Skin Care Tips
Skin Care Tips
Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent Fasting
Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha
Cancer
Cancer
Pneumonia
Pneumonia
Diarrhoea
Diarrhoea
Dengue
Dengue
Typhoid
Typhoid
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis

Videos

View All

Why is it important to have a family doctor?

Size zero obessesion may jeopardise your heart …

Parenting tips: Hope you’re not making this …

One among four teenagers battle depression: Signs …

Health Photos

View All

5 effective ways to get rid of pigmentation or darkness around the mouth

5 effective home remedies to treat bumps after waxing

Fenugreek, onions and other ingredients that will keep your hair strong this winter

Beware! Dimples on breast could be a sign of breast cancer

Health News in Hindi

Fat Reduce Tips: जानिए शरीर की खराब चर्बी को खत्‍म करने के 7 जादुई तरीके क्‍या हैं?

Maggi Recipe: एक ही तरह की बनी मैगी खाकर हो चुके हैं बोर, तो इन 3 हेल्दी-टेस्टी मैगी रेसिपी का लें मजा

थायरॉयड से छुटकारा पाने के लिए रोजाना करें ये 2 योगासन, शरीर की हड्डियां और मांसपेशियां होंगी मजबूत

डायबिटीज बुजुर्गों के शरीर को पहुंचाता है ज्‍यादा नुकसान, जानिए बुढ़ापे में ब्‍लड शुगर कंट्रोल करने के उपाय

बिहार के पूर्व सीएम लालू यादव की तबीयत बिगड़ी, दिख रहे हैं निमोनिया संक्रमण के लक्षण, एम्स (दिल्ली) में हो सकते हैं भर्ती

Read All

Recent Posts

  • Pregnancy: Placental function can help diagnose diabetes and heart diseases
  • 5 ways to increase stamina to workout every day and stay healthy
  • 5 things your body hair is trying to tell you about your health
  • Insecure in your relationship? It may lead to postnatal depression in men
  • Beware! Simple fall may lead to life-threatening consequences

About The health Site

TheHealthSite.com is India's largest health site with more than 40 lakh unique visitors per month. We focus on fitness, beauty, health, pregnancy and more.

Most popular health and wellness website in India in 2012 at the Website of the year awards.

health@corp.india.com
+91 – 22 – 6697 1234
Landline Phone number 91 – 22 – 2490 0302.

ZEE ENTERTAINMENT ENTERPRISES LTD, 18th floor, A-Wing, Marathon Futurex, N. M. Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400013.

Useful Links

  • Weight Loss
  • Keto Diet Tips
  • Skin Care Tips
  • Intermittent Fasting
  • Apple Cider Vinegar
  • Ashwagandha
  • Cancer
  • Pneumonia
  • Diarrhoea
  • Dengue
  • Typhoid
  • Tuberculosis
  • Chickenpox
  • Chikungunya
  • Depression
  • Hepatitis
  • Diabetes
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Arthritis
  • Swine Flu
  • Baby Names
  • Cough and cold
  • Heart Attack
  • Breast Cancer
  • Ebola Virus
  • Dengue
  • Malaria
  • International Yoga Day
  • Hypotension
  • Heart Failure
  • Asthma
  • Brain Tumour
  • Celebrity Fitness
  • Goitre
  • HIV/AIDS

We respect your privacy

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • Author Profiles

Copyright © 2021 Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited. All rights reserved.