NewZNew (Chandigarh) : Eureka Forbes, India’s leading health & hygiene company and pioneer in water purification, has initiated an innovative nationwide campaign by setting up over 100 unique water testing labs, known as ‘Paani ka Doctor Clinics’, in over 25 cities across India. The company plans to introduce over 200 more clinics across 150 towns and cities by 2016. These health zones will allow consumers to get a first-hand experience in testing their water quality and understanding appropriate purification technologies best suited for their households.

India is facing an acute water crisis presently, with water contamination and water scarcity fast becoming the country’s number one woe. In fact, contamination of drinking water has been identified as a critical public health issue by the World Health Organization (WHO), causing more than 80% of all diseases. To add to this, with the onset of monsoons, the ratio of people falling sick increases evidently. While the season brings with it a host of ailments, it is also the season when immunity levels are at its lowest, making people more vulnerable to infections. Besides the most common diseases associated with the season like common cold attacks and viral fevers, people are exposed to several intestinal infections leading to gastroenteritis, typhoid, malaria, dengue and hepatitis due to intake of unhygienic and infected food and water.

To understand the impact of water contamination and key issues with drinking water in India, Eureka Forbes Institute of Environment examined water samples in Chandigarh. The findings revealed the TDS (Total Dissolved Salts) levels to be varying between 140-210 mg/l, which stands beyond permissible levels. It also revealed presence of coliform bacteria in drinking water. While coliform in drinking water may not necessarily make one ill, but it increases the chances of presence of other disease-causing organisms in water, which could be exceedingly fatal in nature.

To address this grave issue, Eureka Forbes has introduced exclusive health zones, to allow people to test their water quality and apprehend its health quotient. While most people understand the importance of drinking safe and pure water, lack of awareness about the right purification method often leads to health problems. For instance, RO is meant to remove certain heavy metals and contaminants which are found in ‘few’ locations, not all. Moreover, if one uses RO water purification in areas where it is not required, then it leads not only to ‘demineralsed water’ but also adds to water wastage (to purify every 1 glass of drinking water, RO wastes 7-8 glasses).

Eureka Forbes’ certified in-house water specialists and experts stationed at these clinics will examine the water and provide beneficial inputs, and determine suitable products for customers. Moreover, these specialists will showcase the first-of-its kind seven-step process designed to check the water quality through an interactive Mobile Application. The water is examined on the presence of varying aspects, including TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), turbidity, harmful new age contaminants like pesticides and other heavy metals, organic chemicals, chlorine, and microbial growth. This will help educate consumers about the health impact of each contaminant, and the benefits of consuming healthy water, which is not only able to retain essential minerals and nutrients but also absorbs the goodness in water.

With years of dedicated research & examination, Eureka Forbes has developed a strong understanding of the changing water conditions and evolutions in the water industry. Today, the demand for clean drinking water is spurting not just from densely populated city centers but quickly mushrooming to suburban and developing areas as well. These Paani ka Doctor clinics will provide consumers with the benefit of convenience whereby they can walk in at any time, reach out to the experts and address their grievances faster.

Sharing his thoughts on this initiative, Mr. Marzin R. Shroff, CEO-Direct Sales and Senior VP, Marketing, Eureka Forbes Limited said, “We at Eureka Forbes, have always strived to meet excellence in customer satisfaction. In a step towards meeting this goal, we have taken up a nationwide initiative of establishing Paani Ka Doctor Clinics (PKDs). We aim to further increase the count to 200, across smaller towns and cities. With PKDs we are able to spread geographically and reach out effectively to our consumers, especially during monsoons when people are vulnerable to falling ill. This step will not only allow us to serve our customers better, but also help us build stronger bonds and make our valued consumers feel closer to us at all times.”