HYDERABAD: With an estimated 2,500 children dying everyday in the country due to diarrhoea and other intestinal diseases caused by polluted drinking water, conversion from intermittent supply to 24/7 is "both essential and achievable," according to Srinivas Chary Vedala, Director, Centre for Energy, Environment and Urban Governance, Administrative Staff College of India (ASCI). According to him, water-borne diseases caused by leaking water pipes point to a ticking time bomb in most cities.

He told The Hindu on Monday that the most cost-effective solution was not to merely replace a few leaking pipes, but to reduce the overall leakage and convert the water supply system to a `continuously pressurised 24/7 system' which was the global norm.

The capital invested on repairing leaking pipes would give returns within one-and-half years, he said. Supplying water 24/7 would achieve significantly better health outcome, eliminate `coping costs' , generate greater consumer satisfaction . Many cities across the globe, including those in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Afghanistan, Maldives and Vietnam, were providing pressurised water for 24 hours. In contrast, most Indian systems were so poorly maintained that 30 to 50 per cent of the water was wasted and the pipes were pressurised only for a few hours. As a result of intermittent supply, compounded by illegal suction pumps, drainage and sewage "gets sucked into the water mains and delivered right into our homes."

Reducing costs

Studies by ASCI, Water and Sanitation Program (WSP-SA), World Bank and USAID have shown that a well-managed continuously pressurised 24/7 water supply system actually costs less than the "outmoded intermittent systems common throughout India today."Prof. Chary said many cities in Europe, Africa and Asia, with less water and money per capita than Indian cities, were already maintaining continuously pressurised 24/7 supply systems. While Paris had 150 litres per capita per day, Hyderabad had 160 litres per capita per day. On an average 130 litres per capita per day was the public health norm for any urban area.

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