According to UNICEF’s numbers, 380,000 children in India will die in this year alone. Safe clean water is in dire shortage in India and other developing countries. Something that we American’s take for granted as we leave it running while we brush our teeth, but elsewhere in the world the water is making people sick. Diseases such as typhoid, cholera, jaundice and diarrhea will kill about 380,000 children in India alone this year. Thankfully, India’s Tata group is catering to the low income market. They have developed a water purifier that not only is cheap- but doesn’t need running water or electricity to work.
Aptly named the Tata Swach, (which is Hindi for clean) the machine stands about 2 feet tall, looks like a water cooler and is totally portable. Originally design for those affected by the tsunami, this device uses a filter made of paddy husk ash. This ash has long been known for its cleansing properties–poor villagers use it to clean their teeth. The use of the natural rice husk material is a key part of the process.
