Part 4/14:
Compounding the problem is wastage: globally, 35% of water is lost during transit, and over 80% of wastewater remains untreated, flowing back into rivers and lakes contaminated with fecal matter, bacteria, and chemicals. This pollution endangers 1.7 billion people who rely on contaminated water sources, suffering from diseases like cholera, dysentery, and typhoid. India discharges around 50 billion liters of untreated wastewater daily—equivalent to filling 20,000 Olympic-sized pools—and this unregulated runoff poisons water bodies, undermining public health and biodiversity.