When visiting family in India, co-founder Nikita Chatterjee learned that even as improvements have been made to the country’s water system, large segments of the population still do not have access to safe drinking water. Working with local mentors and water quality experts, PAANI’s mission is to promote the accessibility of clean water in low-income communities, through practices that are safer and more efficient. 

 

We understand that first world solutions can NOT fix third world problems. Bridging the gap between new technology and everyday cultural behaviors of women in the slums of India, our solution is a water filtration system built into the sari cloth. The sari cloth is a traditional garment worn by women throughout India. For centuries, women have used the sari to filter their water. With a completed mock prototype further testing and development is currently underway. Through PAANI, we will see a decrease in the prevalence of water-borne illnesses in low-income and rural areas. 

 

PAANI hopes to refine, not change the methods of water filtration that already exist within low-income communities in developing countries.