This Way Too Good Water

In drought-prone Bundelkhand, K. Vijaya Lakshmi’s invention has made a difference. An environmental scientist with the NGO Development Alternatives, she hasdeveloped Jal-TARA kits to be used by villagers. One of these kits tests the water forits potability and the other filters contaminants—of mainly faecal origin—using sand. Ten testing kits and as many filters have been distributed in Jhansi and Tikamgarh districts, benefiting about 1,200 families. Their use has led to a notable reduction in cases of water-borne diseases in the region. Dr Lakshmi was recently felicitated byPresident Pratibha Patil.