It is imperative to reach this section of our people but here we encounter particular challenges such as lack of awareness of the importance of safe drinking water, high upfront purchase cost, competing priorities for the family’s limited disposable income, business models poorly adapted to local market conditions and also lack of appropriate, durable and safe technologies.

To address the challenges of lack of awareness and limited income on the part of this population combined with lack of appropriate technologies and poor business models, Development Alternatives (DA) has been working on developing and implementing innovative service delivery models for providing low cost safe drinking water solutions to rural India.

One of the emerging and affordable solutions is offered through nano-based water filters. As per the research studies, materials suitably treated or impregnated using nano technology-based methods can filter water very effectively. Thus, DA piloted a market based nano-filteration technology in a few villages of Delhi using a Lead Experience User (LEU) based service delivery model.

A vital component of this model are LEUs. LEUs are local women who have strong social connections and knowledge of the local population and are also interested in becoming entrepreneurs. As product users they can best demonstrate its long term benefits while an additional income provides them a long term motivation to promote and sell the filters.

Secondly, this business requires little working capital and the margins are suitably high. The business model facilitates a close interaction of the customers and the technology provider by offering customers filter activation, training sessions and after sales services. Additionally, the model involves local shopkeepers in the distribution of replacement filter units/ bulbs as shops have the space required to stock the unit / bulbs safely as compared with a LEU’s house where children could tamper with the product.

Finance, though a critical element given the low income levels of the population, is not included in the model as the cost of the filter is not so high as to deter people from purchasing it. In addition, micro-financing institutions are currently absent in the pilot area. However, the model leverages the possibility of inclusion of finance depending on the area of implementation.

Though the model provides economic and health benefits to the community, certain challenges need to be overcome to ensure its scalability and sustainability. One of them is that women living in rural areas hesitate to move out of their homes and become LEUs. As an alternative, local NGOs can be approached to help them in this venture. Secondly, there are financial barriers but these can be overcome by the introduction of installment based financial schemes or financial support through Self Help Groups (SHGs). Lastly, nano based technology is still at its nascent stage and not fully able to compete with well known and widespread technologies such as RO systems. This technology still requires intensive research on filters for achieving safe and multiple parameters of drinking water, and also on risk management policies and strategies. q