Multi-district assessment of water safety (M-DAWS)
This Multi-District Assessment of Water Safety (M-DAWS) study conducted between March 2007 and December 2008 by WASMO has found chemical and bacterial contamination in drinking water samples in eight districts of Gujarat including Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar, Kutch, Mehsana, Dangs, Surat and Valsad.
Drinking water has been accorded the highest priority in the National Water Policy of India. Unsafe drinking water has serious health hazards, ranging from physical deformity to life
threatening diseases. As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates, diarrhoeal disease is responsible for the deaths of 1.8 million people every year, and an estimate of 88% of that burden is attributed to unsafe water supply, sanitation and hygiene. One of the most serious threats to public health is due to feacal contamination of water supplies. Together with
poor sanitation and personal hygiene, feacal contaminated water is a major cause of diarrhoeal disease. For the state of Gujarat, where water shortage constitutes a huge problem, ensuring adequate and safe drinking water to its citizens becomes a huge challenge. In this context, Multi-District Assessment of Water Safety (M-DAWS) programme has been
undertaken by WASMO with financial and technical support of UNICEF, Gujarat to survey and assess the condition of drinking water quality in the state.