Safe drinking water in remote rural communities in present era

Background: Groundwater is important source of drinking water particularly in rural communities though river, dam water too is also used globally. Many sicknesses, deaths are due to water, major media for carrying causes of illnesses. Community based study was carried out to know about drinking water sources, action before consumption by rural communities. Methods: Community based qualitative study using predesigned tool was carried out in tribal communities of 140 villages of forestry hilly region over one year with 25 women of 15 to 60 years randomly included from each village, total 4500.   Results: Reported sources of drinking water at home were public taps in 1671 (37.1%), public borewells 1195 (26.6%), wells in outskirts of villages 929 (20.6%), rivers 381 (8.5%), other sources 324 (7.2%) (harvested rainwater, dams). Of 4500 study subjects, total 1522 (33.8%) women reported no road for going to collect water. Only 1936 (43.0%) women had drinking water at work places, (310 (16.0%) borewell, 313 (16.2%) matka (mud pot), 999 (51.6%) well, 314 (16.2%) other sources. Those who did not have water at work places, 393 (15.3%) took water from home, 767 (29.9%) went to river. Before use at home, 3510 (78.0%) women did filtration, usually with cloth torn from old saree, 690 (15.3%) boiled, 300 (7.3%) used other methods (bleaching powder or alum). Conclusions: In present era in well doing province untreated river water for drinking at home, work places are real dangerous practices, much more dangerous at work places as water is consumed directly from river without any action.