In a small village school in Rajasthan, India, 12-year-old Priya winces as she sips water from the school’s hand pump. The high fluoride content has already mottled her teeth – a visible sign of dental fluorosis. Meanwhile, her classmate Rahul struggles to focus in the dim classroom, as he tries to ignore the stifling heat and poor lighting.
Both children – and many more like them – are being affected by the health and education crisis in rural schools across India. Less than half of the population are using safely managed drinking water, while two-thirds of rural and two-fifths of urban households still face electricity outages every day at least. The absence of reliable electricity and access to safe drinking water in schools in particular threatens millions of children’s futures. But combining solar energy with clean water systems could transform rural education.
A hidden crisis in India’s rural schools
The lack of basic infrastructure in rural Indian schools is not just an inconvenience, it’s a health emergency that severely impacts children’s ability to learn and thrive. Here’s how:
- Contaminated water: In many rural areas, groundwater, often the sole source of drinking water, is contaminated with high levels of fluoride, leading to dental and skeletal fluorosis. Over 60 million Indians could be risk of fluorosis, with school-age children being the most vulnerable. Excessive fluoride exposure can cause skeletal fluorosis, leading to joint pain, stiffness, muscle wasting, and potentially severe bone complications.
- Waterborne diseases: Many rural schools lack access to clean drinking water, exposing children to diseases like diarrhea and typhoid. UNICEF estimates that 600 million children around the world still lack safely managed drinking water. In India, around 37.7 million people are estimated to be affected by waterborne diseases annually, while 1.5 million children die of diarrhoea and 73 million working days are lost due to waterborne diseases every year.
- Heat stress: In regions where temperatures regularly exceed 40°C (104°F) during summer, poorly ventilated classrooms become health hazards. High temperatures cause heat stress, dehydration and heat-related illnesses. This affects cognitive performance.
- Eye strain and vision problems: Dimly lit classrooms force students to strain their eyes, contributing to vision problems. Symptoms such as frequent headaches eye strain, and weak eyesight affects students’ visual comfort. The prevalence of myopia is also gradually increasing among school children in India.
- Lack of access to midday meals: The Midday Meal Scheme is a flagship Government of India programme that provides free meals to children attending government schools. Many schools across the country lack essential infrastructure to make this programme work, however, including kitchens, utensils, clean drinking water and proper spaces for serving meals.
Solar power and clean water: a dual solution
Solar power and advanced water purification systems can be used together to address these health and educational challenges. This not only enhances the learning environment by ensuring better health and safety, but also improves educational outcomes. It can pave the way for a brighter and healthier future for students.
Solar-powered water purification systems can eliminate fluoride and other contaminants from groundwater, ensuring students have safe drinking water. Solar-powered lighting and fans create a healthier, more comfortable environment for students. This can reduce the risk of heat-related illnesses and improve concentration, as well as limiting eye strain and preventing long-term vision problems.
And once they have access to reliable power, schools can ensure continuous operation of water pumps, enhancing sanitation facilities in toilets and handwashing stations and reducing the spread of diseases. Solar-powered kitchens can also provide a place for hygienic preparation of school meals, reducing the risk of foodborne illnesses.
A ripple effect on community health
The benefits of solar electrification and clean water systems also extend beyond the walls of the classroom. When schools become centers of reliable power and clean water, the positive effects can ripple through entire communities.
First of all, schools equipped with water purification systems can serve as clean water sources for surrounding communities, improving general health. With access to digital resources, schools can also act as hubs for health education, spreading knowledge about hygiene, disease prevention and nutrition to families in the area.
During natural disasters or health crises, solar-powered schools with clean water can serve as emergency centres, providing vital resources to affected communities.
Leading the way in Kota, Rajasthan
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives are instrumental in bringing solar electrification and clean water to rural schools such as the one that Priya and Rahul attend. Rajasthan is among the largest states in India and more than 70% of its districts are impacted by fluorosis.
In Kota, Rajasthan, three government schools have already installed solar power plants providing a total of 4.5 kilowatts of power, as well as water purification systems that provide 250 litres of clean water per day. This initiative is the result of a partnership between NGO Samarpann and logistics and supply chain company Delhivery. It shows how effective CSR efforts can be in addressing the challenges that tribal areas like Kota face.
More than 2,000 students at these schools now have access to clean drinking water and uninterrupted power, with an informal survey by Samarpann showing a reduction in absenteeism due to improved health and an increase in exam scores. Solar energy has also powered digital literacy programmes, preparing students for a technology-driven future.
Dr Megha Bhargava, Chief Advisor at Samarpann, on a field Visit to a government school in Kota, Rajasthan, assessing the effectiveness of Samarpann’s health and education programme.Image: Samarpann
Securing India’s educational future
Scaling the solutions to rural schools’ lack access to electricity and safe drinking water will require sustained investment from corporations, increased government support and active participation from local communities.
India’s educational future lies in its ability to harness the power of the sun and provide the most basic of necessities – safe drinking water – to its children. Solar electrification and clean water systems in schools are not just infrastructure upgrades, they are investments in the health, education and potential of future generations.
By lighting classrooms and providing clean water, we are paving the way for a brighter, healthier and more prosperous India.
Megha Bhargava is the Joint Commissioner Income Tax, Ministry of Finance, Government of India and Digvijay Sujlana is the Head Of Public Policy, Govt Relations, ESG & CSR, Delivery Limited
This article previously appeared in the World Economic Forum.