Water in the age of coronavirus

Most of us take comfort from the fact that we can get water from our taps and if we find that this is not clean enough, we simply switch to buying and drinking bottled water

March 22 (Sunday) was World Water Day. As we lock down economies to battle coronavirus, we need to understand how critical the issue of water — clean, safe, and accessible to all – is. Today, the only defence against the pandemic is that we wash hands frequently — for 20 seconds each time. The fact is clean water remains the most important preventive health measure in the world. So, today, as we confront the new global enemy in the form of coronavirus, the availability of water will be a crucial determinant for a successful outcome in this war.

Most of us