Provided clean water services to 2.5 lakh Indian households, claims AWS

Amazon Web Services has claimed that it has provided access to clean water to 2.5 lakh Indians through partnerships with global nonprofits water.org and WaterAid. The clean water initiative, which AWS said it began in 2020 with WaterAid, has been spread across the states of Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

With Water.org, AWS provides loans to communities to finance the installation of piped water connections and toilets in individual houses. With WaterAid, the company helps with rainwater harvesting, systems for recharging groundwater, and community awareness programs in Telangana and Andhra.

AWS said it plans to accelerate these initiatives further, aimed at preserving water resources, improve access to clean water, and develop sustainable sanitation operations.

In collaboration with Water.org and local organisations, AWS provides affordable loans in these three states to help nearby communities finance the installation of piped water connections and toilets in individual houses. Water.org works with microfinance institutions, self-help group federations, and state rural livelihood missions to help local communities. With WaterAid, AWS assists with rainwater harvesting, groundwater recharge systems, piped water installations, and community awareness programs in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.   

“These projects also account for an estimated 500 million liters per year of recurring water volume benefit. Most beneficiaries are female, and with reliable access to water, health is improved, kids stay in school, income increases, and opportunities, especially for women and girls, expand,” said Michael Mayernik, Water.org Head of Corporate Partnerships.

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According to water.org, about 80 million or more than 6% of India’s 1.38 billion citizens lack access to safe water. Particularly, lack of household water connections and toilets lead to waterborne illnesses, stunting growth in children and death.

In Maharashtra alone, AWS said it has helped with water related resources and funding to more than 1.3 lakh individuals, including training on awareness about loan products.

In terms of an example of the work done, AWS and WaterAid constructed a 12,000 liter storage tank with separate compartments for rainwater and municipal water for a Zilla Parishad High School in Hyderabad.