On World Water Day, Bhumi Pednekar Visits Community Pure Water Centre in Rural Telangana, Highlighting India's Urgent Water Challenge

As India faces increasing water stress driven by climate change, groundwater depletion, and rising demand, the scale of the crisis remains stark- nearly 70% of the country’s freshwater is estimated to be polluted, and over 800 children die every day from water-related diarrheal diseases alone. The visit underscores the critical importance of clean drinking water as a foundation for public health, dignity, and long-term development.

Bhumi Pednekar on a visit to a water purification centre of Community Pure Water seen with the community members

During the visit, Bhumi Pednekar engaged directly with community members, particularly women and schoolchildren, gaining first-hand insight into how access to safe water has transformed daily life. Conversations with beneficiaries highlighted reduced time spent collecting water, improved health outcomes, and greater access to education and livelihood opportunities.

She was accompanied by Mr. Ravi Reddy, Founder of Community Pure Water; Ms. Pratiksha Prashant, Board Member and Chairperson of the Fundraising Committee; Ms. Sumeet Rawla, Chief Philanthropy Officer; and Ms. Lakshmi Konamamneni, Chief Executive Officer, along with the Community Pure Water leadership and operations team.

A walkthrough of the purification centre showcased Community Pure Water’s five-step purification process, including filtration, reverse osmosis, mineral balancing, and safe distribution, demonstrating how technology-driven systems, combined with strong community participation, deliver reliable, affordable, and high-quality drinking water at scale.

Speaking during the visit, Bhumi Pednekar said, “Access to safe drinking water is one of the most fundamental rights, yet for millions it remains a daily struggle. What Community Pure Water is doing here is not just providing water, it is restoring health, dignity, and opportunity. On World Water Day, it is a powerful reminder that solving India’s water crisis requires collective, sustained action.”

Mr. Ravi Reddy, Founder, Community Pure Water, added, “Safe drinking water must be seen as essential public health infrastructure, not a charity or a privilege. At Community Pure Water, we have focused on building systems that are reliable, scalable, and operated by the communities they serve. Today, with over 600 Water Purification Centres, we provide safe drinking water to 1.5 million rural residents every day, 24/7, through our Any Time Water (ATW) system. Visits like this help bring visibility to the lived realities of rural India and reinforce the urgency of investing in long-term, sustainable solutions.”

The visit also included an interaction at a nearby government school, where Bhumi observed how access to safe drinking water is improving student health and learning environments, reinforcing the strong link between water security and education.

Community Pure Water, a flagship initiative of the Community Development Foundation founded by Mr. Ravi Reddy, has built one of India’s most effective community-managed safe water delivery models. With over 600 purification centres across the country, the organisation provides safe and affordable drinking water to more than 1.5 million people every day.

Each centre operates as a 24/7, ISO-certified micro-utility with high operational uptime, ensuring consistent water quality and long-term impact. By reducing water-borne diseases and improving overall health outcomes, these centres contribute directly to stronger communities, better nutrition, and increased economic productivity.

As the world marks World Water Day, the visit underscores a simple but urgent reality: access to safe drinking water cannot remain uncertain for millions. Community Pure Water’s work demonstrates that scalable, community-operated solutions can deliver reliable, long-term impact, when backed by sustained investment and collective action.

Bhumi Pednekar’s visit brings national attention to a crisis often faced quietly in rural India, reinforcing the need to place safe drinking water at the centre of the country’s public health and development agenda.
 

About CPW

The greatest barrier to a better quality of life in rural India is poor health. Chronic illness driven by hazardous, polluted water keeps families sick, drains incomes, limits education, and holds back women and entire communities.

Community Pure Water (CPW) exists to remove this root cause. CPW is a community-powered preventive health organization driving systemic change by operating long-term water purification micro-utilities as public health infrastructure. By preventing disease before it begins, CPW enables healthier families, improved school attendance, stronger livelihoods, and more resilient communities.

Its model integrates preventive maintenance, remote monitoring, and AnyTimeWater (ATW) dispensing systems with deep community participation to ensure reliability, affordability, and durability over decades, moving beyond short-term project cycles. By building local capacity and ensuring systems are operated by communities, CPW delivers sustained impact, not temporary access.

Today, CPW operates over 600 systems across multiple states, providing safe, BIS-standard drinking water to 1.5 million people every day with over G7% uptime. By eliminating the root cause of water-borne illness, CPW is enabling healthier populations, stronger workforces, better educational outcomes, and long-term, generational progress across rural India.

CPW website: www.communitypurewater.org