December 11, 2025
In his Hindustan Times column, OHT’s Dr. Ramanan Laxminarayan reframes how we think about development by pointing to one simple test: “Can people safely drink water straight from the tap?” Economic growth and rising incomes, he notes, mean little if basic public services fail. Without reliable access to clean, piped water, societies turn to private and unequal solutions such as bottled water, household filters, and water tankers, while generating large amounts of plastic waste.
Using examples from India and Mexico, Dr. Laxminarayan highlights safe tap water as one of the most effective public health interventions, with benefits that rival many medical breakthroughs. Clean water improves health, protects the environment, and raises the everyday quality of life.
The takeaway is universal: real development is reflected in the quiet reliability of essential infrastructure. When people can drink from the tap without worry, progress becomes part of daily life—not just statistic. Dr. Laxminarayan writes, “If India makes the availability of potable tap water in every household a promise, it can get there with careful planning and sustained focus. But only if we first stop mistaking income for progress — and start measuring development by the quality of everyday life.”
Read it here.
