India, Jan. 11 -- Potable (drinkable) water implies it meets regulatory health guidelines for drinking, and can be used for cooking, brushing teeth, bathing, and food preparation. It can contain permitted dissolved minerals and salts. Not all safe water (like water for irrigation) is potable. Polluted water sources, wastewater, and sewage mismanagement cause 830,000 preventable deaths worldwide annually, as per the World Health Organization's 2022 report. Without improving public health, smartcity, clean-city, and "Viksit Bharath" will remain hollow claims.

The contamination of piped water with E. coli, Salmonella, and Vibrio cholerae from sewage in Indore caused many to suffer vomiting and diarrhoea, and die of multi-organ failure. Mult...