White Salt engages Kolkata with the #WaterWise campaign for WaterAid India

WaterAid India, a not-for-profit organisation working to ensure access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene to some of the poorest and most vulnerable communities, recently made a comeback to the city of joy with its experiential campaign ‘#NoShame in Menstruation’ and ‘How #WaterWise Are You?’ The return has been favourable owing to the success of its first campaign held in May this year, as a build up to the Menstrual Hygiene Day (May 28). The campaign was widely acknowledged by other non-profit organisations as well as by people in the city of Kolkata.

To take the campaign on-ground in various cities across the country, WaterAid India has engaged White Salt Entertainments, which once again delivered WaterAid India’s strategic experiential campaign at the most frequented, Forum Courtyard Mall, in the heart of the city.

The campaign was spread across three days (6-8 July) and witnessed huge participation from mall goers at Forum Courtyard comprising of diverse demographics.

Speaking about the campaign, Dipti Shah, Events Head at White Salt Entertainments said, “The first time around, #NoShame and #WaterWise campaign was carried out in Howrah-Belur. This being the second round of campaign for WaterAid India in Kolkata, the focus has been on engaging with and reaching out to young adults, who are frequent at Forum Mall on Elgin Road. The idea has been to be able to reach out and touch all strata of society by disseminating relevant information via facts to spread awareness about the rapidly increasing global concerns around lack of access to clean water and menstrual hygiene management. We can end this water crisis in our lifetime. But first we have to let everyone know that it’s happening!”

As per the recent NITI Aayog report, 600 million people or almost half the population in India face high to extreme water stress and about 200,000 thousand people die every year due to inadequate access to safe water. This is the biggest water crisis that India has ever seen. The crisis starts with water - but water affects everything in life - health, education, livelihood, food security and the lives of women and children, especially who have to walk for miles to fetch a few buckets of water every single day.

Commenting on the campaign, Nanditta Chibber, Media & Communications Manager at WaterAid India said, “India today is facing the worst water crisis with millions facing severe water scarcity and many cities likely to run out of water in the next couple of years. It is high time we realise that we all need to be water wise -- manage our water resources and water usage better as every drop counts. While most of us visiting malls have immediate access to clean water on premise, there are millions in India who do not have it.  This lack of access to clean water burdens them with loss of livelihood, education, health and other opportunities, trapping them in a circle of poverty.”

“Through these activities, we are trying to reach more and more people to make them not only aware of the importance of conserving water but also acting on it now, by being #WaterWise. Additionally, also create awareness on how supporting the cause of ensuring access to clean water, decent toilets and good hygiene can change people’s lives drastically, especially women and girls who bear the brunt of it the most as they walk miles every day to fetch water for their families and the lack of it affects their health and menstrual hygiene gravely,” she further added.